Resurgence of the Dark
by ChaChaFinesse
Summary: 200 years after the fall of Galbatorix, Estara is chosen to be a Rider. She has a vision that she must defeat a monster from her past, one that threatens the fate of the land. Can she learn enough in time? Can she convince Eragon that she needs his help?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Inheritance characters. Good ol' Chris does.

Warning: If you have not read all the books in the Inheritance series, there are major spoilers in here. Spoilers never bother me but incase they bug you…you have been warned.

Estara's life was about to change, but she didn't know it. She had the vague impulse to go into town that day, but for what she didn't know. She reached out with her mind, feeling about until she reached Gavnar, her brother.

_Brother, we should go to town. _she whispered into his head. She could sense her brother's indignation at her intrusion but agreed that he would take her. Estara smiled. She loved her brother dearly. He was the only person who seemed to understand her, the only one who didn't call her a freak.

It had always been this way. Ever since the fever that took her voice and changed her hair. When she was born, the midwife, an elf woman, had proclaimed her special, but had not told her parents why. When she was three weeks old a dreadful fever overtook her and she slipped into unconsciousness. The midwife was summoned, and although she sung her songs of healing the fever stayed. When eventually the fever broke of it's own volition, it left Estara incapable of speech-even the crying and cooing noises common with babies- and left her hair the color of silver.

She knew her parents loved her, she knew it from their minds. Although her parents would never say it, she also knew that they were scared of her. They thought her a changeling and blamed the elf woman for the abnormal changes in their daughter. Estara knew it because their minds told her. Her ability to read minds was something that even her parents didn't know about, only her brother. They also didn't know about her dreams.

Dreams were what she called them, even though she was not always asleep when they overtook her. Mostly the dreams were of little things, that should be of consequence to no one, Gavnar skinning his knee, or of her mother burning herself on a pot. But of late, the nature of the dreams changed. She had known that the harvest was going to be bad, she knew that one of the village men was going to kill his wife and that the King was going die months before each incident happened. She never bothered telling anyone this. Not even her dear brother. She just thought that the dreams were dreams, nothing else.

Her brother met her at the stump by the road to town. He smiled widely at her. "So why are we going in today?" Gavnar asked.

_Not sure,_ Estara replied directly into his mind. _Just thought we needed to go._

"You're a strange girl you know that sis," Gavnar said ruffling her silver hair. She straightened the few hairs that he had mussed and shrugged her shoulders in response, causing her brother to laugh out loud. The trip into town was a fun affair. The siblings walked, Estara remaining mostly silent, while Gavnar regaled her of tales of his most recent hunting trip with their father. He talked about how he had learned to track, reading the signs that the deer had left behind in order to stalk them. With pure joy he spoke of how he snuck up on the sleeping deer, how amazing it was to know he held the life of the deer in the palm of his hands.

It always frightened Estara when her brother spoke like this. She could sense a darkness in him, something that was barely there, but a darkness none the less. She had a dream about him once, one she prayed would never come to pass. She had see her brother screaming at her, telling her he wished she had never been born, before storming off, never to return. Her dream had gone dark after this, which was odd. She had no idea what it meant.

Before long, they had reached town. It was a small village that bordered the elves forest of Du Weldenvarden and as such was rich in the beauty of nature. Towering trees bordered the east of the village and a clear spring babbled along to the west of the town. It was a tiny town but it was home to Estara, no matter how the villagers feared her.

As Gavnar and her walked through the town, peoples conversations would stop as people turned to look at her. Adults talked about how sad it was for parents to be cursed with such an oddity for a child. The other children threw things at her, rocks bounced off her back and rolled to the ground. Gavnar would yell at the kids and chase them away, only for the children to resume when his back turned.

"Don't worry Estara," Gavnar said. "They just fear what they don't understand."

_I know,_ Estara said smiling sadly. She did know. She could touch the minds of the villagers and sense the fear in them. No malicious intent, just fear. It was really the only reason that she tolerated the bullying. _If it wasn't for my gift_ she thought _then I would truly grow hard and hate them._ She silently thanked whatever god was listening for this one oddity. Gavnar put his hand around Estara's shoulders comfortingly.

"Where too?" He asked. Estara smiled and pointed at the fountain in the middle of the town. Gavnar rolled his eyes. It was Estara's favorite spot. Whenever they came to town, this is where Estara wanted to sit. She loved to watch the hustle and bustle of the village, and this was the best vantage. Estara sat, happily. Gavnar walked over and began chatting to one of the local merchants.

Estara amused herself by closing her eyes, and trying to listen to as much as she could. She heard the thoughts of a mother as she punished her children for fighting, the merchant who was jacking up his prices for the traveler, and the thoughts of the ever present gaggle of children that followed her as she walked into town. She tried to press her mind to search farther, to the forest-the hunters who where there, the animals and something enormous. Something that touched her mind in return.

She immediately retracted her consciousness and waited in fear. Something was coming. Her frantic thoughts searched out for her brother, but he was pushing her call aside-something he learned to do over the years of telepathic communication with her. She frantically debated pushing into the minds of the villagers when she heard the horns, and she relaxed slightly.

She had heard the horns before, the horns that the Riders would blow as they drew near a town. She looked to the skies and saw them in the distance. Three dragons, their colors she couldn't tell, were headed directly for the village. She watched as one departed from the three and began to descend, and to Estara it looked like the Rider was heading strait for their village.

Suddenly her brother was at her side. "Riders," he said reverently. Estara smiled. Gavnar made no attempt to hide his desire to join the Riders lofty ranks.

_Perhaps now will be your chance to join brother,_ she said. They watched in silence as the Rider and dragon descended into the village, landing right in front of Gavnar and Estara. The gust of wind that followed the landing of the dragon, was astounding. It nearly knocked Estara off her perch on the side of the fountain. The Rider slid down his dragon's side to land on the ground with a thud. Estara looked at the Rider, and saw that he was an Urgal.

It was common knowledge that the Urgals and dwarves had been added to the legions of the Riders after the great war with Galbatorix. But Estara had never seen an Urgal before. She stared at him as he surveyed the crowed gathered before him. His great purple dragon however stared directly at Estara. The dragons mind probed delicately at Estara's mind, Estara resisting the pull of her mind, for the dragon was indeed female. Suddenly the pull from the dragons mind was gone, but the dragon was still staring intently at Estara.

"Villagers," the Urgal Rider bellowed. "A camp has been set up for the Agaeti Wyrda. All children between the ages of nine and seventeen are asked to make the journey to the camp to be presented to the dragon eggs." He bellowed directions to the camp, which Estara knew was only a half a days journey from the village, and as abruptly as he arrived, he left.

Gavnar grabbed her hand and dragged her running back to their home. It took little convincing to get their parents to agree to make the annual trip to the Agaeti Wyrda. Gavnar was positively ecstatic. On the trip to the camp he kept saying how this was his year, how he was finally going to get chosen by an egg, how this year he was going to leave home and become a Rider. Estara hoped for her brother, this was his last year being that he was seventeen.

They arrived at the camp, and saw a great emerald dragon laying in front of the pavilion where the eggs were being kept. Estara was careful to keep her guard up, she knew that the Riders kept their minds open to search for threats, but she didn't want them to see her. Her family set up camp, ate and slept in preparation for the ceremony the next day.

Dawn came early for Estara, for she hadn't slept the night before. Images of dragons and evil magicians swirled in her mind, and fear, fear of a great danger that was looming over all of Alagaesia. Her and her brother were washed and scrubbed, and dressed in they're finest clothes. This was only the second time Estara had been old enough for the Agaeti Wyrda, which she knew meant Fate Celebration in the Ancient Language.

All of the children were to be presented to each of the five eggs, if one hatched for them, then they were the newest in a long line of Riders, since Lord Eragon had reestablished the old order. Estara was bustled into line to wait her turn to be presented to the eggs. One by one she watched children enter the pavilion, and one by one she saw the children leave. No one had yet been chosen. Before she knew it, it was her turn. A tall elf woman, with dark features gestured for her to enter. She took a deep nervous breath, and looked back at her brother. Gavnar gave her a smile. This steeled her nerves enough for her to walk into the pavilion.

When Estara entered, she was surprised at how dark it was. It was almost midday outside but the pavilion was almost dark as night. Several lamps hung about the pavilion lighting it dully. Estara could see a raised platform upon with five dragon eggs rested.

"Go on," the dark elf woman said from behind her. "It will be alright." Estara turned to the woman and was met with a kind smile. She turned back to the pavilion and looked at the eggs. On the far left was a black egg, to it's right was a green one, then a blue one a red one and finally a silver one on the far right. Estara walked up to look closer at the eggs, and almost touched the red one, but stopped herself. She looked over at the silver one, it seemed to be calling her, like a faint echo in her mind. She always trusted her instincts, so she walked over to the silver one and placed her hand upon it.

She felt the egg move, and she quickly jerked her hand away. She turned panicked to the elf woman, but she stared transfixed at the rocking egg. Estara turned back to see that a piece of the rock hard shell had already been poked away. She stood there watching, knowing that she should let the dragon work it's way out. Before a minute had passed, standing where the egg had been was a tiny silver dragon.

The dragon stared at her with an intensity that Estara had ever known. And then the dragon cocked his head, like a bird. Estara smiled widely. She extended her hand to touch it. She had always wondered what a dragons scales felt like. As soon as her hand came into contact with the dragon, a searing pain like fire ripped through Estara, and she passed out.

When she awoke she was in a small simple tent. She sat up, and heard a slight thump. She looked down at where the sound came from and saw a small very disgruntled dragon. Instinctively she reached out and touched it's mind, but was bombarded with images. Completely overwhelmed, she withdrew her mind entirely. Just then the dark elf woman walked into the tent, the great green dragon that Estara had seen the day before poked his head into the tent. She sat on the cot opposite Estara and said, "Do you know who I am?"

Estara shook her head. "I am Arya, the queen of the elves and a Rider." Estara looked at her wide eyed. She had heard stories of the elf queen, but never thought she would ever meet her. Her dragon crawled on to her lap and curled into a ball, intent on sleeping. "Your mother tells me your name is Estara." Estara nodded. "She also tells me you can not talk." Again Estara nodded, absentmindedly she stroked her dragons silky scales. Arya smiled gently, "But you do talk don't you." Surprised Estara smiled and nodded. "You are an incredibly gifted young girl." Arya continued. "To be able to teach yourself to speak with your mind, is quite astounding."

Gently and hesitantly, Estara reached out with her mind and touched the queens and the dragons. _It was the only was I could speak to my brother._ She said to them simply. _My brother, _her mind yelled and both Arya and her dragon, who's name Estara learned was Firnen, recoiled. _Was he chosen by an egg?_ Arya frowned at her question and Estara had her answer. Her brother had not been chosen, but she had. Firnen's deep voice permeated her mind, _Your dragon tells me his name is Argetrakr. _

_He spoke? _Estara questioned _But when my mind connected with him it was nothing but garbled images_. She heard a deep rumbling sound that she could have sworn was a laugh come from Firnen.

_That, little one, is the way that dragons naturally communicate. _Firnen said _Even when we learn human speech or the ancient language, that is still our first language and how dragons most often communicate with each other. _Estara nodded, but she wasn't sure that she understood how the images she saw made sense.

"There will be a feast in your honor tonight and then tomorrow we will fly to Vroengaurd." Arya said with a sense of finality. She rose and said "You can join your family now." And with that the queen of the elves left the small tent. Firnen lingered only a moment before he too left Estara alone with her dragon. She studied the small sleeping dragon in her lap. His tiny razor sharp claws, the tiny ridges on his back and tail that would eventually turn into formidable spikes. He stirred slightly as she studied him. Yawning greatly he turned his shining eyes to her.

Hesitantly, she reached out her mind to the tiny dragon. This time he did not barrage her with images. _So your name is Argetrakr, eh? Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it?_ She felt confusion through their link. She thought and decided to try something. She concentrated as hard as she could on an image of people talking and then a picture of someone stumbling and sent that to the tiny dragon. He stared at her, his confusion gone. She smiled. He seemed to understand.

_Perhaps I can give you a nick name. _she thought more to herself than to him. She struggled running over ever diminutive she could come up of Argetrakr. _Arg? No. Get? That's awful. Tak? even worse. Trakr._ As she thought this last one, the dragon perked his head up a little bit. _hmm, that's on the right track. Uh…_a series of images bombarded her from the tiny dragon, she tried to pay attention to each one. A dragon sniffing the air, tracks on the ground, a man with a bow following those tracks on the ground. _A Tracker?_ Glee resounded across their mental connection. Estara smiled widely, _You want to be called Tracker?_ In her mind there was an echo of the dragon rebounding her own voice,

_Tracker…_

Estara smiled, _Tracker it is then, _and with that, she picked up the tiny dragon, placed him on her shoulder and left the tent.

The feast was a blur of activity. Estara was overwhelmed, and Tracker was too. Everyone approached her to congratulate her on her being chosen. All the villagers were there and Estara felt odd at the praise she received from them. People who hadn't spoken to her once in her life, were saying how they knew she was destined for great things, and how she will bring the village honor. She felt in their minds that they were being honest, that they truly believed that she was destined for great things, but she too felt relief that the odd child would no longer be living with them.

Her parents fussed over her the whole night, they were proud. They thought her a strange child, but the midwifes words resounded in their minds, that she was to have a great destiny. The only thing missing was her brother. Gavnar was no where to be found. Estara hadn't seen him since before Tracker had hatched for her. She cast her mind out, looking for him, but there were just to many people for her to be able to pinpoint his location. Once she was sure that she had found him, she had even called out to him, but he pushed her aside, ignoring her pleas to come talk with her.

When the feast was finally winding down, she confessed to her parents that she could communicate with her mind. Though her mother was surprised, her father was not. Gavnar had slipped up and mentioned that Estara had said something. They weren't angry, like Estara had thought they'd be. They understood that she was just scared, that she'd be thought even stranger. She confessed to her mother that she'd been trying to contact Gavnar but to no avail.

"Go try to find him dear," her father said hugging her tightly. "I will make your excuses." And with that her mother took her hand and they began to search for her brother. They looked for an hour and still hadn't found him. Tracker sent Estara a stream of images, the same as last time, only this time it was him sniffing out her brother. Estara contacted her mother, and told her that Tracker had an idea.

Estara ran to the family tent, and rummaged around for something of Gavnar's, Finally settling on the shirt he had worn yesterday, she held it up for Tracker to smell. He sniffed, and huffed, and let out a sneeze. Estara sent a picture of laughter to her little dragon-who simply sent his irritation through their connection. With that Tracker leapt off her shoulder and with nose to the ground, much like a hunting dog, he began to sniff out Gavnar's trail.

Tracker let out a bugling noise, flapped his little wings and began to fly. Estara would have taken a moment to watch his first flight in awe, but they had pressing matters. She ran after Tracker, almost loosing sight of him in the dark.

He lead her to a small clearing in the middle of a wooded area, in the middle, despite the darkness she could see her brother. Gently she nudged his mind with her own. He pushed her away. She knew she had to make him listen, Tracker alighted on her shoulder. She touched Trackers mind and he sensed her unease. He made a deep rumbeling noise in his chest, which Estara knew was to sooth her. Gathering her resolve, she did something she had never done before, not to the bullies, not to the adults who thought her strange, not even to Gavnar who she trusted more than anything.

She forced her way into his mind. She pushed against his consciousness he fought her back furiously, but he was no match for her. She overwhelmed his defenses, and rushed him with her emotions, her sadness, her excitement, her love for him. Eventually Gavnar turned to look at his sister. Estara had never seen this look in his eyes before, and couldn't place it. Tracker hissed and sent a warning through their connection.

"Stay away from me," Gavnar croaked as he finally broke his silence. "Freak." Estara took a step back, tears in her eyes. He had never called her a freak before, he had always defended her.

_Why brother?_

"You ruined my life," he yelled standing up and stalking towards her. "You ruined my chance at being a rider."

_Maybe I can speak to Arya, _Estara said _perhaps you can come with us._

"I don't need your pity Freak," Gavnar whispered angrily now just inches from her face. "I can make my own way in this world. I will become more powerful than you, I will become a thing even the Riders fear. Mark my words, 'sister'." A silence fell over the clearing, Estara could feel her eyes burn from tears she refused to shed. Tracker gave a small roar on her shoulder, and Gavnar turned his attention to him, "Stupid dragon. You must be as dumb as my sister is mute, you picked a rider who is barely even human." Gavnar moved to strike the tiny dragon, but Estara was faster.

She didn't know from where this strength came from or what even this power was but she blocked her brother's strike, and with her other hand open she struck him square in the chest. The power surprised her, and drained her. She shook her head fighting the sleep that threatened to overtake her. When she opened her eyes she saw that her brother had been thrown from his position in front of her, across the clearing where he sat slumped against a tree.

She willed her legs to move, but she seemed not to have the energy. She tried to contact Gavnar, but he pushed her away, as he stood up.

"I have no sister," he growled making a sound almost inhuman. "You are dead to me. Mark my words, I will destroy you and your order, even if I die in the process." Those were the final words he spoke. He sneered at her and turned and ran out of the clearing.

Estara collapsed in a shivering pile on the ground. She sobbed. She had lost her brother, her best friend. She was dead to him. She didn't know how long she cried in the clearing. She felt Tracker nudging her mind, trying to calm her, but it was no use. Years of bulling and sadness overwhelmed her at once and she continued to cry. She felt Tracker call to someone, but she did not know who. She heard the thunder of wings overhead and the trees and brush crush under the weight of a dragon. She felt arms pick her up, and carry her somewhere. She felt Tracker in her arms, never leaving her for an instant.

She felt a rush of air, and knew she was flying on dragon back. To consumed with her grief to look, she continued to cry. They landed, and those same arms lifted her again, and carried her to a tent. She heard a rush of voices some she could understand but most she couldn't. She felt her mother stroking her hair, and still she cried. Her mother never left her side, Tracker curled up on her neck his head resting just above her hear, making that soothing rumbling noise all night.

When she finally awoke the next morning, she was warm, and comfortable, but broken hearted. Her mother had, at some point laid down next to her and had held her as she cried. Tracker had not moved from his position on her neck. She touched his mind and knew that Tracker was awake. She sent him an image of their old tom cat sleeping in the same position. Tracker just growled playfully. The tent flap opened and she saw the Urgal rider standing there. He nodded to her and turned around and left. She understood that this was his way of saying that it was time to go. She was going to begin her training as a Rider.

Author's Note: This is actually my first foray into writing Eragon fan fiction. I know there is a lot going on in this chapter, from Estara POV. The other characters will flit in and out of this story, but it's mostly about Estara's mark on the riders. Hope you enjoyed!

~ChaCha


	2. Chapter 2

The ride to Vroengaurd was uneventful although as the island drew closer Estara's excitement grew. She had heard stories of the rigorous training that the riders were put through. The idea of leaning to use magic and fighting and flying sounded like a wonderful thing to Estara. Because she couldn't talk, everyone saw her as an invalid, she was seen as fragile as sickly as broken. She couldn't wait to be around people who expected her to learn to actually do something.

When the island came into sight she gasped. It was more beautiful than any of the stories could do justice. Tall towers of white marble reached towards the sky, while dragons of all sizes and colors circled about the spires. Estara would never have believed that when Eragon had come to this island 200 years ago that he had found it in ruins, and with the help of a small group of elves, had rebuilt it to the glorious monument that she saw before her. As she drew closer she saw various training grounds where she could see many young riders at work. Sparring with weapons, training with magic or flying about with their dragons.

The Urgal, who she was riding with landed in a large field to the north of all the buildings. He made a grunting noise, which she knew meant it was time to disembark. She had gotten along very well with the Urgal rider. It was he who had rescued her from the clearing where her brother had left her in his anger and had returned her back to her parents. Arya was not to accompany them back to the island, so it was her and the Urgal, who's name she learned as Arnak, who would be traveling back to Vroengaurd.

Arnak had been a very comforting presence. He understood that she mostly wanted to not talk about what had happened in the clearing, but had told her stories of growing up in the Urgal village where he had come from. He told her, in his rough curt tones, that the other young urgals had been envious that he had been chosen for the great honor of being a rider. A group of the young rams had gotten together and beaten him breaking bones and even his horns.

Estara had been horrified, until Arnak explained that they did this because they were jealous. In his community it was the greatest honor to be chosen to be a rider, and as such, had your choice of mates and always had the best huts reserved for you. Arnak explained that it was simply their own ignorance that made them act out, they years later he even had made friends with the rams who had beaten him. Arnak had made no mention about her brother, but Estara knew that he had told her the story to give her hope, and hope she had. She fervently believed that one day she would see her brother again, and that one day he would forgive her for being chosen, and in turn apologize for his cruel words.

A small crowd gathered as she dismounted from Arnak's dragon, Delois. Tracker, who was perched on her shoulder, was excited. He trumpeted, earning the same noise in response from many of the other dragons who had come to watch. Estara felt a large hand touch her shoulder, and she turned to see Arnak. He simply gave her a nod, that she understood meant it was time to go. They walked down a small path and in to the center of the tall buildings. Arnak lead her into the tallest of the bulidings and Estara's heart began beating rapidly. She was so nervous. She knew Arnak was taking her to meet Lord Eragon, and any other riders who had been chosen while the eggs made their annual trip to the main land.

Arnak waved his hand and the large oak double doors opened to allow them passage to a room. On the far end of the room, she saw a great blue dragon curled up on a large dais, just in front of that was a man, who appeared to be neither elf nor man, sitting at a large ornate desk. She knew instantly that this was Eragon. Stories of his transformation at the Ageti Blodhren were frequently told. He was pouring over some papers in front of him, and he held up a hand to signal that it would be a moment before he would be with them.

Estara took the moment to study the room. She looked around her and marveled at the simplicity of the room. Lord Eragon was the leader of the riders, but this room held none of the fancy trappings that Estara had assumed would come with that position. The room was simple, all of the furniture, except for the desk, looked as if it would be more comfortable in a farm house and caused what Estara believed was a funny contrast.

Her eyes flickered to the ceiling, and she was astounded. Painted upon the ceiling was a perfect rendition of the night sky. She stared, recognizing the different constellations that her brother had taught her. She felt for a moment, as if she was back home staring at the sky at night while listening to the animals around her.

She heard the creaking of the wooden door, and turned to see another pair walk in. In walked a dwarf rider, with a tall elf, that she could only assume was another new rider. She studied him with interest. The elf was tall and lean, but not with out strength. His hair was a dirty blond color, and instead of long and flowing, as she knew was the preferred way the elf's kept their hair, his was cut close to his head. His face was youthful, but his features were sharp, and his bright blue eyes seemed to glance at her with distain, when he saw that she was watching him. She turned around quickly, trying to keep an embarrassed blush from rising in her cheeks. Estara hadn't meant to stare at him, she had just been so curious at the presence of a new rider such as herself, that she'd gotten carried away.

She felt Tracker take off from her shoulder and watched him as he flew toward the other hatchling, trumpeting excitedly as he approached them shimmering gold dragon. She watched cheerfully as the two dragons flew in circles around each other nipping playfully at each other. A deep rumbling noise echoed through the room, startling Estara. She looked around, trying to discern the origin of the noise. Her attention was brought to the enormous blue dragon, who she guessed was Saphira, and she realized that the elder dragon must have laughed at the sight of the hatchlings playing. The two young dragons alighted on the limbs of Saphira, Tracker nuzzling her with familiarity. But before Estara could wonder why, Eragon spoke.

"Welcome, new riders," he said his voice filling the room. "It is always a good day when I can welcome new members to our ranks." Eragon approached the elf man and clasped his hand. "You must be Eldwin, I have heard about you from Arya. She says you're quite the accomplished swordsman." Eldwin simply nodded. Estara smiled, she was glad to know that it wasn't just her who was nervous about this meeting. And then Eragon turned to her, wiping the smile off her face. "And you must be Estara," Eragon took her hand gently. "Arya tells me that you too are extremely gifted."

Estara was confused. She was not gifted. She had no idea what he was talking about. _I'm afraid the queen must have been mistaken, Lord Eragon, _Estara said speaking directly into his mind. _I have no talents to speak of sir._ Eragon laughed out loud, Saphira joining in.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken Estara-Finiarea," Eragon said mirth lighting up his face. "For a human, to be able to speak to another with their mind, is a great accomplishment, for one of a race not blessed with an instinct for magic." Estara blushed at his praise. She had not known that what she had done was anything special. She knew of no one who could do it, but she just assumed it was another oddity of hers. "I am excited to see your progress here as you train." Estara stole a glance at Eldwin, who seemed to be staring at her with curious dislike.

She felt Tracker alight on her shoulder, and she was grateful for his comfortable weight. She sent him a picture of him nuzzling Saphira and let her confusion resonate through their connection. Tracker seemed to purr and sent her back a series of images. A baby, a pregnant woman, a dragon egg, a pair of dragons and finally an image of Estara's own mother, as she stroked her hair as Estara cried. _Saphira is your mother?_ Tracker cocked his head to the right and Estara heard a deep voice answer back, _Mother…_ Estara was sure that Tracker had just spoken.

She smiled at the thought that the little dragon was already learning, but she was very shocked to learn that her small dragon was a descendant of Saphira. And she was quite honored. She looked at the elder dragon, and was amazed. She had occasionally seen dragons before and was, every time, amazed at the raw powerful beauty of these creatures, but Saphira was exceptional. Saphira turned a great azure eye to her and she felt the dragon prod at her mind.

Hesitantly Estara opened her mind and allowed Saphira access. The dragon simply said, _Take care of my little one Dragon-child. _

_Dragon child?_ Estara asked _What do you mean by that?_ She heard Saphira's laughter, as did the whole room.

_All in due time, little one, _was the great dragon's simple response. On that note, Eragon wished them luck and said that he would be following their progress. Both the new riders bowed and then left. The dwarf rider, who's name Estara never got excused himself and Arnak showed Eldwin and her to their living quarters. Estara was surprised to find that each rider, while here, got their own rooms. Even more surprising, was that her room was right next to Eldwin's.

When Arnak had left them to get settled, she turned to introduce herself to Eldwin, only to find that his mind was like a brick wall and she could not speak with him. Eldwin turned to her and sneered, "I have no desire to speak with you, Oddling. You are merely a strange child who got lucky enough to be chosen by you're dragon. Much to Estara's surprise, his own dragon hissed at him. He shot a confused look at the small gold dragon and chastised her "Gilda, there is no need for that. Simply because you took a liking to her and her dragon means nothing." He turned his attention back to Estara. "I'm an elf and have no need for dealing with bizarre humans." Estara had had enough. She may have taken that kind of abuse back home, but she had no intention on sitting back while he insulted her. She reached out with her mind, an angry look on her face, and battered against his mind, breaking down his wall, brick by brick. Eldwin tried to keep her out, but try as he might, his defenses failed.

_What is wrong with you?_ Estara yelled in his mind, causing him to flinch. _I have done no wrong to you. We are both equals her_e_ and I should be treated as such. How effective do you really think you will be as a rider if you can not stand a human child? Do you truly think that you will be able to deal with all races fairly, as a rider should?_

Eldwin's eyes hardened as he struggled to fight her off. "What do you know of a rider's duty, human child?"

_Apparently more than you elf child,_ Estara spat back bitterly. _The rider's were brought back to keep the peace between the races and to ensure that never again will a mad ruler like Galbatorix can not rise to power and commit genocide again. Or have you forgotten that the dragons were nearly wiped from existence and the elves were forced to retreat to their forests?_

"Remember, human," Eldwin hissed. "I am not here to make friends, but to learn how to be a rider. I'll see you on the combat fields." And with that, he was gone. Estara felt the little gold dragon touch her mind. The little female dragon flashed her a series of images, all with the same meaning-I'm sorry. And then she too was gone.

Estara stormed to her room, slamming the door with great force behind her. She stood there fuming, until she felt Tracker nuzzle her neck. She began to relax a little. Through their connection Estara could tell he was just as confused as she was as to Eldwin's anger at her. _No bother, my little friend_ she said to Tracker, who flew over to her bed and curled up on the pillow with a yawn. _We'll show him, and every one who doubts us. We will be the greatest riders since Eragon himself. _

_Authors note: So Finiarea is sort of a made up word. Finiarel is the honorific that Oromis used with Eragon and Paolini defines it as a word used to describe a young male who shows potential. Despite an intensive Google search I couldn't find a female derivative so I took of the L and added an A. Hope you liked the new chapter. Another one should be up in a few days._

_~ChaCha_


	3. Chapter 3

The years flew by with surprising speed for Estara. She had returned to the main land only a handful of times since starting her training. But this time was not training or a break but mother's funeral. It had been a heart breaking affair, that had only served to remind her that she would outlive her family. At her mother's deathbed, her mother spoke of her pride in her daughter with such force, that Estara had wept. They spoke of many things, but not among them was the whereabouts of her brother. She knew from the letters that she had exchanged with her mother that her brother had never returned home, or even sent word.

When her mother had been buried, Estara remained with her father for a month. She could sense that he was not much longer for this world. She had sent word to Vroengard that she would remain. She had lied a little and said that her father was sick and no one questioned that. Estara had stayed up late that night talking and laughing with her father. She knew tonight was the night. Her father talked about how he met her mother, and had instantly fallen in love with her, despite being only 6.

Estara loved this story. It had always been her favorite. Her father talked about how he used to tease her mother, he'd pull her hair or splash water on her. When she had asked why he had done such a thing, her father's answer had always been the same. 'Because I'm going to marry you one day'. Estara watched as sleep tried to overtake her father. She lead him to bed, tucked him in just as he used to for her. She pulled up a chair and sat holding her father's hand.

He grimaced as if in pain and said "Tell me a story." Estara smiled and her eyes flickered to Tracker, who head was leaning in from an open window. _Tell him everything, _Tracker said. Estara agreed. She took a deep breath and began her story.

_Once there was a beautiful little girl born to very proud parents. When she was young, a fever overtook her stealing her voice and changing her life forever. _

"I know this story darling," her father interrupted.

_You know parts of it Father. _Estara smiled at him. _I want you to know everything. The girl grew up and when she was ten she was chosen to be a Rider. Her brother_ here she paused. She hadn't told anyone this part before, even her and Tracker didn't talk about it much. _Her brother was jealous and ran away vowing only to return when he was powerful. Powerful enough that even the Riders would be scared of him. She went to Vroengard, and was trained to be a Rider. She learned many powerful secrets, things only the Riders knew. _

_But it was not easy. There was another Rider, chosen around the same time as she was, who made her life very difficult. He teased her, and called her names. And fought with her, beating her every time they sparred. It was frustrating. _Here her father laughed. When Estara asked him what was so funny, he simply said

"That's what your mother used to say about me. He must really like you." Estara scowled, and objected but her father simply smiled and urged her on with her story.

_Learning magic had been even more difficult for the girl, because she couldn't talk. Speaking the language of magic is important to the process so that if your thoughts wander, you don't accidentally destroy things. She did that a lot. _Estara was embarrassed to admit it. When she was first leaning magic, her spells were constantly going awry. She had set several buildings on fire, hit the wrong target and had just made a mess of things over all.

_But the girl grew strong. Once she learned how to control the magic she was unstoppable. It was as if she was a creature of magic herself, like the dragons. She was capable of so much more than many of the other Riders because she understood something about magic that the others did not. Something only she could understand because she couldn't speak aloud. Magic didn't come from within, as so many of her teachers had told her. It was everywhere. Everything was magic and because she understood that, she could do things that would have exhausted or killed others. _

_One time, after she realized this, she had turned a tree into gold. Her teachers had been amazed, because that spell should have left her dead from the amount of energy it consumed. But the girl had done it. She knew the only thing keeping the tree a tree, was the tree not knowing that it could be anything different. _Estara paused here. Her father gazed at her in wonder and confusion. This was the same look she had gotten from Arnak when he had found her with the golden tree. He didn't understand how she had done it, despite her best efforts to explain it to him.

_The girl grew stronger at fighting as well, until she could best almost all of the human and dwarf riders, although the elf rider still tormented her and took great delight in defeating her when ever he could. The Urgal Riders had even taken her in and taught her their hand to hand combat. At this she excelled. She was as good as most of the Urgals, but seldom beat them since she lacked the physical strength. But she was fast and tricky, something that the Urgals admired, and there was always great celebration when she did eventually win. _

_The girl knew that time slipped past, but not how much. Time seemed to never change on the island. It seems like eternal summer there, every day just as beautiful as the last. _Estara flooded her father's mind of images of Vroengaurd. The tall trees, the odd creatures, the tall white marble towers and the dragons and other riders who had become her friends. Even an image of Eldwin, her tormentor, as it was all her life. He father smiled warmly as she showed him everything.

_Then the girl traveled home, to her family. Her mother was ill._ Estara began to cry, loosing her mother was hard but knowing that by tomorrow she would be an orphan was tragic. _She came with the partner of her heart, Tracker. _Her father spared a glance in the direction of the great silver dragon that rested just outside the house. _She spent a few wonderful days with her mother, talking and sharing. The night she died, the girl had a dream. She knew that her father, now the only family she had left would die very soon. _Her father looked at her curiously.

"Is this a Rider thing?" he asked breaking his silence. Estara shook her head. "Continue, darling, I want to know about these dreams." And so she told him. She told him about the visions that she had, and they always seemed to predict the future. So when she had dreamed that her father was going to pass soon, she stayed home to spend his last days with him.

"Does anyone know?" her father asked, his voice growing weaker. Estara shook her head again. "You are a Seer, Estara. Did you know that?" Again she shook her head. Her father sighed and continued "You're grandmother, my mother, could sense the future, though not to the accuracy that you describe. You come by it honestly." Estara smiled and squeezed his hand.

_I love you, Father,_ she whispered in his mind. There was a long pause before he seemed to gather the strength to say "I love you very much Estara. You're mother and I are so proud of you." And with that he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

It was a few hours before her father passed into the void. Estara said a prayer that he would be reunited with her mother, his true love. She knew that the Riders were very scientific about their approach to faith, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that there was no greater beings watching them. She had no name for it, and didn't know who or what they were, but something told her that they were out there.

She buried her father the next day, with the villagers around her. She buried him next to her mother, knowing that that would be where he would have wanted to be. She and Tracker stayed there for sometime after all the villagers had left. Tracker lay behind her so that she could lean on him with his neck curved around so that his head was in her lap. Estara absentmindedly stroked the spot between his eyes that made him purr.

When she was ready she said a prayer for the peace of her mother and fathers spirits and climbed into the saddle for her journey back to the island. The only place that she could now call home.

When she arrived back on Vroengard, she was greeted by her friends. An Urgal dame named Broga, a dwarf male, Beogar, and a human man, Rogan. They were her very closest friends, and they did much to relieve her grief. Even Gilda, Eldwin's dragon came to see her, offering condolences for her and her stubborn rider. Estara smiled. Gilda had always been kind to her, which is one reason she thought she didn't truly hate Eldwin, though her distain for him grew every time they met.

As she walked to her room, she noticed Saphira flying with a great green dragon far off in the distance.

_That must be Firnen, _Tracker said. _That must mean the queen has come to visit. _Estara thought, there had been rumors flying around the island, that Queen Arya was thinking of giving up her position and moving to Vroengard.

_That would be nice, _Tracker commented on her thought _Her and her dragon have always been kind to us. _Estara was pushed slightly from behind startling her out of her thoughts, and turned to see no one other than Eldwin standing behind her. He didn't look all that much different from the first time that she had seen him. He was still tall, and lean but now with more muscle. His eyes had changed slightly, and she didn't know why. After their first encounter she had never invaded his mind like that again. She knew now that it was rude to do so for any reason other that a battle between magicians. He seemed to have a haunted look in his eyes and he looked at her with what she always thought of as pain.

He may not have changed, but she had, drastically. She was only ten when she had come here and that was 20 years ago, and for the first several years she aged normally, until she hit 19 and then her ageing seemed to stop all together. Her hair, still the color of burnished silver, was long and when it flowed freely it stretched down to her hips. She was curvy, puberty had taken care of that, her chest and hip forming a figure akin to an hourglass. She was lean and strong, but had an airiness about her. Rogan teased that she looked as if she was going to take flight like Tracker. Her gray eyes stared unblinking at Eldwin until he finally spoke.

"The queen is here," he said simply and curtly in the ancient language.

_I know_, was Estara's own short reply

"Eragon has called for the Vakna." Estara kept her face impassive but she was jumping for joy inside. The Vakna was a graduation trial of sorts. Apprentice Riders could challenge the tests and if they passed would be considered a Rider in full.

_You planning on entering?_ Estara knew the answer before she even asked it.

"Yes. You?" Estara nodded at his question. "See you out there then." Eldwin said before turning on his heals and leaving.

_Do you think we're ready?_ Estara asked Tracker.

_As we'll ever be._

Estara put her and Tracker down on the lists for the Vakna for the next day. She was surprised that only a handful of people had signed up. Out of her friends only Broga and her female black dragon Sundava had signed up. Broga was a few years older than Estara and she knew that her friend would have no problem with the tests.

That night her sleep was fitful. She kept dreaming of a large sea creature, it tore apart Vroengard and killed so many that upon awaking, Estara prayed that it was a nightmare and not a vision. When she arose, she took out a small bottle of the elf's drink, faelnriv and it abated her exhaustion. She and Tracker left her quarters and made their way to the field where the tests would begin. She couldn't shake her dream from last night.

_You know,_ Tracker said _That you may not be supposed to shake it. It may have been a vision, not a nightmare._

_I know, but I would really rather it be a nightmare._

_I agree_, Tracker said. The reached the field and the rules were explained.

"It doesn't matter if you win or loose your combats," Eragon said with a smile on his face. "We're all looking for your competency. Queen Arya is here and will be judging as well as all of the Riders, and the Eldunari." Estara knew that it was only because of the eldest dragons heart-of-hearts that Eragon was able to re-establish the Riders. The idea that they would be watching and judging today's proceedings made the small butterflies in her stomach grow.

The dragons were to go first. It was always a thrill watching the dragons fly and spar. After each dragon had been paired they were sent into the sky to fight. Tracker was a great flyer, but he was not an exceptional one. But where the other dragons may have had him beat in flying, he was far more cunning than any of the others. He would lure the dragons into tricks and traps meant to tire them and would come out on top. Estara beamed with pride as Tracker, having just won his match, trumpeted his joy and flew back to her. When he reached her, she threw her arms around his bowed head.

_That was incredible,_ she exclaimed

_I know, _was Tracker's cocky reply. Estara rolled her eyes and then steeled her self for her match. For the Riders, magic was the first to be tested. First they were given difficult situations that they were supposed to get out of using magic. Estara thought her challenge was ridiculously simple. She was pinned to the top of a huge pine tree. First she convinced the tree that it could bend like a reed so that her feet were touching the ground. Then she concentrated on the magic holding her to the tree. Picturing it in her mind she imagined cracks, and fractures in the magic, weak points that she could exploit. Then she concentrated on one of the largest cracks and shattered it with her power. Arya watched impassively, but she could tell from Eragon's face that she had done something that was impressive.

Next was the combat with magic. She was paired against Eldwin. She smiled. _Too easy, _she thought.

_Don't get too cocky, _she heard Tracker say. _Remember you'll have to fight him with weapons and that is where he excels. _Estara knew he was right, but didn't want to admit it.

_Fine so I won't overwhelm him and make him kiss my feet like I was planning, _Estara said with a twinkle. _But I'm still going to kick his ass. _She could feel Tracker's amusement through their link. She had a plan. A little game that she and Tracker always played, might just come in handy.

Her and Eldwin were the last pair to go. She watched the other pairs, most of the battles were impressively long. She glanced at Eldwin and found him staring at her. When their eyes met she saw something there she had never seen before, something she couldn't quite name. Her father's words echoed in her mind _he must really like you_.

_No, _Estara thought. _It can't be. He's always made my life more difficult._ She shook her head and turned away. _No don't think about that now, _she chastised herself _Focus. _When their names were called, her and Eldwin walked on to the field. They locked eyes and combat began.

Eldwin attacked her as forcefully with her mind as he possibly could. Estara went for a different approach. She touched his mind imperceptibly while keeping her defenses in tacked. This was a little game her and Tracker had come up with to practice overcoming each other with their minds. They practiced touching each other's minds trying to be invisible to one another. And see how long it would take before the other noticed they were there. Eventually the game grew into trying to overtake the other's mind slowly, navigating around the walls with a silent slowness that would mean that before your opponent knew you were there, they had already lost.

This was her tactic with Eldwin. She crept into his mind with a painfully slow speed, bit by bit overtaking different portions of his functioning without Eldwin knowing about it. It was incredibly hard work doing this while he attacked her defenses with such ferocity. He was incredibly strong, but in this one area, he was no match for Estara, who had taught herself so speak with her mind, and to overcome others. Eldwin gasped audibly, once he realized what she had done, it concentration shaken for a moment, but that was all she needed to slip in and take completely control. She made him raise his arm, signaling that the combat had been won and she retreated from his mind, trying not to glean anything as she did.

They walked off the field to light applause. And then Eldwin surprised her by turning to her and saying "Good Job." Estara was taken aback by his compliment. She touched his mind and thanked him. He flashed a brief smile at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "But I'll beat you in the next one."

_We'll see _she said. The combat rounds were far more exciting than the mental combat rounds. This is where you got to see the prowess of each Rider. Broga was truly impressive as she mingled her skill with a sword with the aggressive hand to hand fighting style that came naturally to the Urgals. Once again her and Eldwin's names were called, and once again they waked on to the field of combat.

Estara was armed with two long thin knives. The may not have been as powerful as other weapons she had trained with, but these felt more natural. And as Arnak had always taught her, it's better to fight with what feels natural, then to pick simply the most powerful weapon. Tracker always called the knives her claws. Eldwin had brought a large hand an a half sword. He stood there looking quite at home with his own blade. Estara took a deep breath stealing her self for the combat. A horn sounded signaling the beginning of combat, and in the blink of an eye Eldwin had closed the distance between them arching his sword over his head.

She dodged his blade in the nick of time. Countering with a quick jab of her own, but it never connected. Eldwin dodged and swept her knife away. She rolled her wrist, trying to spin the sword out of his hands, but to no avail. Estara jabbed, parried, and sliced, but she just couldn't get through Eldwin's defenses.

Suddenly a familiar pain started in her temples. _No, _Estara mentally growled, fighting the oncoming vision _Not now._ But the combat field faded and her dream from the night before over took her in greater detail. A sea serpent, rose out of the depths and in anger destroyed parts of the island sending huge chunks of land plummeting to the sea below. Riders and dragons alike fell as they tried to battle the serpent. But it's mind was full of hunger and rage. Bellowing she saw the serpent drag Eldwin down into the depths of the ocean.

When she came back to her senses, she was panting. Her body hung limply in a strong pair of arms. Expecting to see Arnak, she looked up and saw that it was Eldwin carrying her gently off the field. She struggled against his grip, but it remained firm.

"Calm down Estara," Eldwin said "You just, well I don't know what happened, you just stopped." She called Tracker with her mind, flooding him with her thoughts and her vision. He was coming. Now she just had to get away from Eldwin. She touched his mind gently and was overwhelmed with his feelings, primarily his concern for her.

_You don't understand._ She pleaded _Something is going to happen, something bad._

"Just rest," he said gently. "The others can handle it." Estara flooded his mind with her vision, hesitating before showing him the last part of the serpent taking Eldwin to his doom.

_You see, _she pleaded _I have too._ She studied Eldwin. His face seemed the same, as the elves aged so slowly, but his eyes. His eyes were different. The were not angry as they were before, they seemed kinder gentler. Eldwin set her feet on the ground and nodded.

"But I am coming with you." he said. "Don't even try to argue, You can't do this alone." Estara looked at Eldwin with new eyes. This was not at all the same person who she had grown to despise. He was gentler, kinder and looked at her with something in his eyes that she still couldn't name.

From a distance she heard the great bellow of the serpent and she took off running for the cliffs. She told Eldwin with her mind to get everyone away from the coast. She reached the cliffs quickly and stopped, the great beast was not far off, she had to stop him from reaching the island. Tracker was right behind her.

_No time to stop flying, _she said to Tracker, _Just catch me._ and with that she flung herself off the cliffs. She only had that weightless sensation of falling for a brief instant before she landed on Tracker's back, and they soared together toward the serpent.

_Stay out of reach,_ Estara cautioned.

_I know, _Tracker said _That's a Nidhwal, an ancient race of dragon like creatures that lives in the deep sea. I don't know why one has come this far out. The last time one was seen around here was by Eragon himself. _

_Do you think we can talk to it?_

_Doubtful. _Tracker said _No Rider before has ever been able to communicate with a Nidhwal._

Estara thought for a moment before saying _Well, they weren't us._ Tracker trumpeted in agreement and soared toward the great beast. Estara reached out to it's mind and found nothing there but hunger, and anger at being awakened. She calmed herself and began to speak to it in the ancient language but she was ignored. She pushed harder speaking her own tongue but to no avail. On a whim, she tried communicating with it as she had with Tracker when he had first hatched at that seemed to get it's attention. She breathed a sigh of relief.

_Quick, _she said to Tracker _What do the Nidhwal normally hunt?_

_Whales and the like, _Tracker said _But I don't see any around here. The usually steer clear of the dragons._ Just then she saw a flash of gold and turned her head to see Eldwin and Gilda flying strait for the Nidwhal.

_No, _she screamed at them with her mind, but it was too late. They were already within snatching distance of the Nidhwal's giant maw. Gilda just barely navigated them out of the attack. _Fly me closer, _she said to Tracker_ and tell those fools to stop attacking and just avoid it. _

_What are you going to do?_ Tracker asked.

_Something you won't like, _Estara said. And it was true. She knew that he would hate her plan, so she shielded it from him in her mind.

_Be careful, partner of my heart_ Tracker said before diving at the Nidhwal. When they were directly over it Estara leapt off of Tracker, landing directly on its back. The Nidhwal didn't even flinch, it seemed not to even feel her. She carefully made her way up it's slippery scaly neck and made it to the crown of it's head. There were long tendrils growing there that obscured her path to the top. She used these as ropes, and pulled her way up to the top of the Nidhwal's head.

Holding on to a rope with one hand, she touched the head of the Nidhwal, the physical contact only strengthened the mental connection that she had. She pushed her way back in to it's mind learning that it was a male. She sent a rush of images and emotions trying to convey that he should stop. He rejected that and pushed forward his attack on Eldwin and Gilda. Switching tactics, she changed to the ancient language, saying _We can do this the easy way or the hard way, now leave._

The Nidhwal stopped moving for a minute. And Estara thought it had worked. The great beast was pondering whether or not this little thing on his head had any true power. He then shook his head trying to throw her off of him, while trying to break the mental contact. She held on for dear life, knowing that if she messed this up, she would simply be a snack for the Nidhwal before he proceeded to destroy her home. She dove back into his mind, taking it over bit by bit. The Nidhwal fought her, he even ignored Tracker, Gilda and Eldwin.

She fought as hard as she could until, suddenly the Nidhwal stopped fighting and she realized she had complete control. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Convincing trees that they were gold or reeds was one thing. But this was an intelligent creature, she struggled with what she was about to do before Tracker finally chimed in_, It is only his baser instincts that cause him strife and to hunt the way he does, perhaps if you could calm that then he would be easier to deal with. _

Estara took a moment, and then in the ancient language she said to the Nidhwal _Abate insatiable hunger and allow me to speak with the Nidhwal._ She could feel a stirring in the creatures mind and words from the ancient language slowly began to form.

_Thank you small one._

_You truly can speak old one_, Estara said in amazement. _Why could you not before?_

_A long time ago before your land rose out of the sea, a curse was place on me and my kind. _He said _It has been so long I could not even tell you why, but it cursed up with a hunger one that could not be abated. It changed us made us echoes of our former self. You changed that in me. My hunger is gone, and I need not to destroy those who have helped me. _

_Are their other's of your kind?_

_Only one that I know of, a female that lives in the depths. _Answered the Nidhwal. _Can you aid her?_

_I can, _Estara said even without thinking. _Just promises me that you will not harm me nor will you allow her to harm me._

_I swear it. And with that the Nidhwal dove into the depths. Just before she submerged she could hear Eldwin scream her name. _

_Authors note: So a lot happened in this chapter. I started writing and wrote for hours and I'm actually pretty happy with the result. So the way that Estara sees magic is a little off cannon, but I had to make something different for her. If you don't like that, then sorry but I really like the way that idea turned out. I also went off cannon about the Nidhwal. I wanted them to be a bit more of a pathetic creature that because of Estara's being mute that she could accomplish something that no other Rider could. This particular idea is really important later in the story. _

_Also I've been using bits and pieces of the "ancient language" as names and such. Would you guys like a glossary on the words I've chosen to use and what they mean? Just let me know either by PM or review. Lots of love to all my reviews and every one who added this to their alerts. _

_~ChaCha_


	4. Chapter 4

The ordeal of freeing the second Nidhwal was far more taxing than Estara had thought it would be. She'd been taken buy surprise when the Nidhwal had suddenly dropped below the water. She and Tracker had to scrambled to think of a spell that would allow her to hold her breath longer under water. Then as the Nidhwal continued to descend Estara began to worry about the building pressure around her. When she shared this with the Nidhwal, he told her to say where she was, and he disappeared into the blackness.

After a few minutes, she saw him return, dragging another Nidhwal in his powerful jaws. The female Nidhwal didn't struggle, but she stared at Estara with all the intensity that Tracker stared at a deer. Estara quickly swam to the Nidhwal, as she got closer to her, the feral Nidhwal struggled and snapped at her, but true to his word the male never let go of the female.

Estara uttered the spell and suddenly the females eyes changed. They were no longer that of a feral predator but that of an intelligent being. Estara felt her touch her mind and she echoed thanks and praise to the rider who had finally freed them of their curse. And with that the Nidhwal bid her farewell and swam back into the depths.

It was only then that Estara realized she was stranded in the middle of the ocean. She cursed and then started swimming for the surface. When she finally broke the surface she ended her spell and took a great gasp of breath. She looked around and could see Vroengard about a mile to the east. She called Tracker and with out exchanging words, he set off to find her. She started swimming to the island. She saw a flash of silver in the sky and she stopped treading water. She watched Tracker descend to the water and she reached up and grabbed a long spike and pulled herself into the saddle.

Tracker angled back to the island before saying, _Eragon would like to speak with you_.

_Of course he would, _Estara said weakly. She was starving from her excursions, and could hardly keep her eyes open.

_Do you want to ask for a break before?_ Tracker asked, his voice radiating concern.

_No, _Estara said _We can't put this off any longer. _She felt Eragon touch her mind. He told them to meet him and the queen in his quarters. She agreed and Tracker adjusted his flight pattern. They spoke of nothing on the ride back, Estara was took nervous to really think. She had kept her visions a secret for so long that it terrified her that the truth was about to come out. She kept thinking that she'd be shunned, an outcast, a freak, when she had just began to have some normalcy in her life, this had to happen.

Tracker landed and they walked solemnly into Eragon's chambers. When she opened the doors she saw that not only was Eragon and Saphira there, but the queen and Firnen, Arnak and his dragon Delois, and a host of the Eldunari. She felt the gathered assembly touched her mind at once, and she shivered from the contact. It was so many at once, too many, she saw so many thing, so many visions bombarded her at once and became overwhelmed. She collapsed to her knees before Tracker stepped in and shielded her from the intrusion.

Arnak strode over to her, and put a calming hand on her shoulder. Estara wanted to cry, the things she had seen when they had all touched her, it was like nothing that she'd ever felt. It was as if she was seeing snippets of all the lives and futures of the minds she touched. She calmed her breathing and reached out to Tracker.

_That was new, _he said. Estara simply nodded.

"Are you alright Estara-Finiera?" Arnak asked his hand still protectively on her shoulder. She nodded and gave him a grateful smile and then turned back to the assembly, bowing as was protocol. When she straightened, she noticed Eragon watching her with interest in his eyes.

"First off," Eragon said breaking the silence. "Let me congratulate you on passing your tests, Estara Nidhwal'tugal. You are now a Rider in full standing." Estara blinked, she had forgotten entirely about the Vakna in the chaotic incident with the Nidhwals.

_Nidhwal'tugal?_ she asked projecting her thoughts to the general assembly.

"It means Nidhwal Rider," Arya smiled "No one, in lore or history has ever accomplished such a feat. We thought the honorific was justified." She turned and smiled a Eragon who was beaming back at her. "We do have some questions however about how this all came to be." Estara nodded, and began to explain everything, from her vision to the mental struggle with the great beast, to the Nidhwal's words and finally what had occurred under the water. When she had finished her tale, she noticed Arnak staring at her with shock clear on his face, but Eragon and Arya stared at her with an impassivity that she would have thought impossible.

"So these visions," Eragon said after a moment of silence. "Is this the first?"

_No ebrithil, _Estara answered.

"How often would you say you had these visions," he asked, his eyes piercing.

_Fairly often, ebrithil. _Estara answered. She had no reason to lie or obscure the truth now, but she was terrified of the answers she may get form Eragon. Sensing her panic rising, Tracker said,

_Nothing bad will happen._

_How do you know that_? She shot back.

_I just do, _Tracker replied calmly. _So you shouldn't worry either._

"Who else knows about these visions?" Eragon asked

_No one ebrithil._ Estara replied. Eragon gave her a peculiar stare and she continued. _Eldwin knows now, but only because it was necessary. My father knew, just before he died. He said seers blood ran in my family. _At this Eragon raised a brow.

"Why is it that you chose to keep this a secret Estara-Finiera?"

Estara halted, with tears in her eyes. She silently prayed that he would understand before she spoke. _As a child I was greatly tormented for being…well, what I am. I was teased because I couldn't speak, because my hair was an odd color. I just assumed that if it were widely known that I could see the future that it would only make the teasing start again._ There she had said it. The one thing she hoped to never have to admit to anyone other than Tracker. The one thing that made her seem like a tiny scared child.

She watched as Eragon leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin with a hand. He watched her. She could tell that he was evaluating her. They were of course speaking in the ancient language, so he knew her not to be lying. This was something that Eragon insisted upon, since he had reestablished the order. Rumors were that a mis-worded spell had caused him difficulty in the past, so he was insistent that every Rider learned to speak this language better than their native one.

Eragon turned to Arya, and it was clear that they were in deep conversation. Estara just stood there, uncomfortable in the silence. Finally Arya turned to her and said, "Arnak tells us you are the one responsible for the golden tree out in the woods." It was not a question so much as a statement, but Estara nodded all the same. "How is it that you did this? The energy that it would have taken should have consumed you."

Estara was a bit confused at the question but answered it diligently. _I told the tree that it could be gold, that nothing was keeping it from being different except it's own expectations of what a tree should be._

"You mean you sang to it?" Arya stared at her a bit confused.

_No, your majesty. I spoke with it. _Arya stared at her becoming increasingly perplexed.

"I understand that plants have a conciseness just like everything else," she said. "But I've never heard of one actually having a conversation with a tree, as you and I do right now."

_It wasn't easy, _Estara said. _But once I found his voice I couldn't ignore it. We spoke at great length of how he was disappointed in not being a flowering tree, since he saw so much beauty it that. I told him that I always thought, that psychologically, we were the only things standing between ourselves and our goals. I told him that he could be a golden tree if he wanted to, that there was nothing stopping him but his own predetermined concept of what a tree should. I didn't turn him into gold, I convinced him that he simply could be, and so he changed. _

"A psychological approach to magic." Eragon muttered and he looked at Saphira. After a moment he seemed to come out of his own thoughts. And said,

"I've never heard of this approach to magic before," he paused and smiled at Estara. "But I think that you have come across something that the rest of us may be incapable of doing because we can speak. We haven't had your disabilities to overcome and so perhaps this comes as naturally to you as it does the spirits who changed the lilies into gold." Estara nodded. She had heard that story countless times from older Riders. "Because of this, you are likely the only one who could help the Nidhwal."

_But ebrithil, _Estara asked _Did you not commune with the Minoa tree much the same way that I did?_

Eragon was silent for a minute before answering "It wouldn't be the same. Linnea sang herself into the tree creating a stronger consciousness in the tree, a elf who could actually be spoken too. You contacted a tree, an actual tree and spoke to it. That is an astounding accomplishment." Estara blushed, but bowed in thanks for the high praise. She felt a piercing pain begin to build in her temples, and she winced against the light. _Not again, _she thought.

"I suggest we keep this just among ourselves for now." Arya suggested. "We wouldn't want word of this getting to any of the courts, they would just use her for a forecaster of events, and we don't need that." Everyone nodded, except Estara, she was resisting the pull of another vision her eyes closed. She felt Tracker's large head behind her for support. She felt a dragon brush her mind and looked up to see Saphira's great blue eye staring at her.

_Are you alright, little one? _her voice seemed far away. Estara knew she was loosing the fight with the vision and it began to overtake her. She swayed, the room was suddenly spinning, she saw several people rushing to aide her, but she fell and everything went black.

Everything was black, Estara knew this was a vision but it was unlike any vision that she had had before, She stared into the dark, hoping to catch a glimpse of something but saw nothing. She reached out with her mind hoping to find Tracker's comforting presence but instead found a mind, one she had not touched in twenty years. She stood up, surrounded by darkness, still seeing nothing and used her mind to guide her. There in the dark curled up into a little ball, was her bother.

"Gavnar," she cried rushing to the little boy and taking him into her arms. Holding the little boy, who had not changed a day since she last saw him, she then realized that she had spoken aloud. She assumed this had something to do with her vision, although she had never spoken in a vision before. The little boy in her arms was quaking in fear.

"I'm sorry, sister," Gavnar said. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Estara asked, again out loud.

"I'm sorry sister," Gavnar repeated. "I didn't know."

"Didn't know what, brother?"

"Didn't know that it would destroy the world." At Gavnar's words Estara started to hear laughter, the kind that a mad person might laugh as they looked upon a disaster. The sound shook her to the core. She looked down back at her brother, but he had vanished in to thin air. She heard the laughter again, and in the distance she saw an orange light. She stood and followed it.

But distance was not as it was in reality, Estara took one step and found herself on the edge of a cliff overlooking the capitol city of Ilirea, burning to the ground. Across the expanse of ground were littered corpses of soliders and riders alike, with many dead dragons intermingled among the carnage. She dropped to her knees, her heart breaking at the sight of her weeping over the body of Tracker amidst the destruction. The laughter started up again, this time immediately behind her. She spun drawing her knives to be confronted with a hideous man. His dark stringy hair was braided in many small braids and matted to his face with gore, he was lean, wiry with black armor covering his vital organs. His skin was so pale that it looked translucent and seemed to be stretched to tight across his bones. His eyes were black as coal and his pupils blood red. He smiled at her and she could see that his teeth were filed in to fangs. She shivered at the sight of him, and knew that he was a shade.

The Shade pointed behind her and she turned. She heard him mutter a few words so quietly that she had no idea what language they were in, and she saw the dead come back to life. The dead hobbled around on broken limbs with an unsteadiness that Estara found disconcerting.

"What did you do?" Estara asked fearing his response.

"Watch," the Shade hissed sounding like a snake with a mouth full of gravel. Estara watched as friends and loved ones ran to the dead and cried and embraced them with joy. But soon the cries of joy turned to screams to terror as the dead began to attack the living tearing them apart limb from limb. Even the dead dragons were eating their riders with an evil relish. She couldn't bring her eyes to see Tracker, even in a vision it would hurt to much to see what was happening to them.

"This," the Shade hissed "Is the future, this is what will happen." Estara felt the sting of tears in her eyes, but she wouldn't give the Shade the satisfaction of seeing them fall. She heard footsteps, and spun to the intruder only to see that it was Gavnar again.

"Sister," he called. The Shade roared in anger, and before Estara could stop him, he threw a knife at Gavnar, sinking it to the hilt into his chest. Estara screamed and spun to the Shade, her 'claws' in her hand only to find that he was gone. She dropped her knives and ran to her brother, picking him up and cradling the dying boy in her arms. She could not heal his wound. "Sister," Gavnar said again with such sweetness that she finally let the tears fall.

In her grief she hardly noticed Gavnar's hand caressing her cheek. She opened her eyes and stared into the brown eyes of her brother, so little and ashen from blood loss. "You have to get the Shadeslayer back to Alagaesia. Eragon must return, or this will come to pass." The Shade roared again, but Estara could not tell where it came from. She watched Gavnar close his eyes, and he once again vanished from her arms. She screamed into the void.

Author's note: Sorry it took so long to get this up. This chapter has been mostly written for a while. But that damn vision gave me a lot of problems. I just couldn't seem to get it right. I finally liked how it turned out so here you go. Please review!

~ChaCha


	5. Chapter 5

When Estara woke, she was in her room. This room was larger than her first room, as Tracker no longer fit in there. Even before she opened her eyes, she a familiar pressure on her chest. She reached her hand out and scratched the spot on Tracker's head that made him purr. She was rewarded with a loud humming purr from deep within Tracker's chest.

_Are you ok, little one?_ Tracker asked.

_Yes, _she answered. _I had a vision though._

_I thought as much,_ Tracker said_ Can you show me?_ Estara hesitated sitting up straight. What she saw in that vision would haunt her for the rest of her life. Especially the image of her weeping of Tracker's lifeless body. But she showed him, every last agonizing second of it. When it was over Tracker was silent. Estara knew not to push him. She let him ruminate and took the chance to look around her room and noticed someone that she hadn't seen before.

Eldwin was sitting in a wooden chair his head on his chest as if sleeping. _He's been here since they brought you here._ Tracker said without waiting for her to ask.

_How long was I out?_

_Two days, _Tracker responded hesitantly. Two days, Estara ran her hand over her face and into her hair. She threw back the covers and placed her feet on the ground and pushed herself into a standing position. Her legs were a little wobbly but seemed sound enough. She took a step forward and her legs gave out.

She felt a strong pair of arms encircle her waist and pull her toward a broad chest. She shivered at the contact, knowing already that it was Eldwin. She looked up and confirmed her suspicions. Eldwin's bright blue eyes radiated concern.

"You shouldn't have tried that." his voice held none of the concern that his eyes did. In fact he sounded like his old, angry disdainful self. He swept an arm under the crook of her knees and lifted her as if she weighed nothing. "You haven't eaten in at least two days."

Estara struggled to get out of his grip, _I'm not an invalid Eldwin, put me down._ Estara noticed a hint of mischief in his eyes before he released her entirely. Estara panicked for an instant only to land on her bed. She sent a disgusted look at Eldwin who laughed and walked over to her table and brought her a tray laden with food. It was only once the smell of the food hit her nose that she noticed how hungry she was.

She dove into the food, like a starving child, prepared to defend herself from Eldwin's teasing, but it never came. Through her link with Tracker she could sense that he was amused. She shot him an annoyed glare but never stopped eating. When she had finally had her fill she tried once again to get out of bed. Her legs were just as shaky as the first time, and she could feel Eldwin's gaze on her as he sat in a chair, poised like a cat to catch her if she fell again.

Estara took a wobbly step and then another. She turned to face Eldwin a defiant look on her face to see that he was smiling.

"You should get dressed," Eldwin said standing and walking to the door. "You're wanted at the smithy." Estara cocked her head in confusion eliciting a laugh from both Tracker and Eldwin. "You look like a bird," Eldwin said through his laughter and he walked himself, laughing, out the door.

Estara glared at his retreating form, before turning to Tracker, an irritated glare fixed on her face. _Why am I needed at the Smithy? I have no skill at forging._

_You are needed because they will be forging your Riders weapon. _Tracker said with amusement.

After she bathed and dressed in fresh clothes, Estara climbed in to Tracker's saddle and they began their short flight to the other side of the island, where the forges we set up.

On the way, Tracker filled her in on the events of the last few days. Estara's encounter with the Nidhwals was not a thing of legend around the island, parts of the story becoming grossly exaggerated. Estara knew that the details of her encounter were kept between her, Eragon, Arya, Arnak and the Eldunari, but she was surprised at the amount of information that the rumor mill got right.

Tracker began to drop in altitude, and Estara saw in the distance the great black funnels of smoke that rose from the forges. In the old days, Estara remembered, all of the Riders swords had been made by Rhunon, the master smith who had learned her craft from the greatest of the dwarves smiths. After the fall of the Riders, she swore to never make instruments of death with her hands again. She had, however, found a loophole in her oath and controlled Eragon's movements, as they made his sword Brisingr.

After this, and the reestablishment of the Riders, Rhunon took on apprentices, doing exactly as she had done with Eragon, and teaching her craft to a new generation. She had even moved to Vroengard to oversee the making of the new generation of weapons.

Tracker landed in a vacant field near the forges and they walked together to the main forge, where they knew Rhunon would be. A human rider was speaking to her as they approached. Estara remembered the girls name was Katalyn and she had just partaken in the Vakna as well.

"Atra esterni ono thelduin Rhunon svit-kona," Katalyn said bowing. In response Rhunon simply guffawed. Katalyn waited for a response but was met with nothing but silence. Rhunon's eyes bored into her before she finally said,

"I need no honorific human," Rhunon laughed with something akin to distain. "When you're as old as I am you find the little rituals," she paused here her face squinted in thought, "pathetic." Katalyn looked on in horror at the thought of offending the elf. Estara smiled and strode up projecting her words so that everyone assembled could hear,

_Easy now Rhunon, or people will begin calling you,_ Estara thought quickly for a slight insult but it was Tracker who whispered the name to her. _alfa-kona medh du zar'roc skulblaka thatha._ Gasps echoed through the quiet forges. Estara knew that she had shocked elf and Rider alike when she had called Rhunon a "woman with the temper of a miserable old dragon". Rhunon stared at her unblinking and no one spoke, you could hear every pop of the wood inside the forge fires as Estara stood waited for Rhunon to speak. Finally it happened, Rhunon started laughing, hard.

Estara had heard elves laugh before. But this was nothing like even the laughter that she had heard from Eldwin earlier that morning. Rhunon laughed a great belly laugh, that shook her whole body and left her gasping for breath. It reminded Estara of her fathers laugh and a pang of grief shot through her. The elves and Riders in the forges joined in halfheartedly for a moment and then quickly went back to their work. Katalyn just stood in shock. To have her own formal greeting followed by Estara's insult, seemed to have shaken her more than she could recover.

When Rhunon finally regained control of herself she finally said, "Young one, no one has spoken to me like that in years, the last I think being Eragon, the first rider, himself. I always knew I liked you." And that was true enough. Estara liked spending time in the forges although she never had the gift of crafting things with her hands she enjoyed the peace that Rhunon offered. She spoke seldom and often used non-verbal ways of speaking, as Estara did herself. They got on well. "I'll be with you when I'm done with Manners over here," Rhunon said gesturing to a still stunned Katalyn.

Rhunon took Katalyn aside and Estara watched as Rhunon put her through the paces of sparring to get a feel for what Katalyn's weapon should be. After about five minutes Rhunon gruffly barked at an elf apprentice and told her what to make. Estara observed that Katalyn was getting a specially designed rapier that was longer and lighter than most to accommodate Katalyn's fighting style and muddy brown to match her dragon.

When she had finished Rhunon walked into the forge seeming to ignore Estara. But Estara had patience. She waited for three hours, never moving never speaking. As a child she had developed extraordinary patience since she couldn't speak and it took her forever to convey what she wanted with gestures and signs. To further that Tracker had taken her hunting several times and had showed her how to track, stalk and wait for prey. Estara didn't particularly enjoy killing the animals, and had never really enjoyed meat, but she enjoyed observe the animals that she stalked.

When Rhunon finally appeared, the sun was near setting and she brought out a bundle of rags. Estara watched as Rhunon unraveled the bundle and her eyes widened when she saw a pair of long knives. The hilts glimmered in the sunlight and were made of wrought silver and imbedded in them were medium size diamonds, gold leafing created an intricate pattern around each of the diamonds. The blades were long and thin the color of burnished silver, with a slight curved tapering that would be ideal for slicing through armor. Each blade was a little more than two feet long, without the hilt. Estara stared at the knives with wonder. They were the most beautiful weapon she had ever seen.

Rhunon held the weapons closer to her and grunted in a way that Estara knew she wanted her to pick them up. Hesitantly, Estara reached out and grabbed the weapons in her hand, and felt the pummel. Each knife had a flat surface that rested perfectly in the palm of her hand, she spun about getting the feel of the swords in her hand and noticed something. The pummels of both knives fit together to form one long deadly double blade.

"It's based off a flyssa, an old sword used by the wandering tribes." Rhunon said. "After seeing you perform at the Vakna I thought it would suit you perfectly." Rhunon was right. The swords could be used as a single weapon or as two making her a deadly adversary. She sparred with Rhunon for a few minutes and nearly wept in joy at comfort, efficiency and beauty of the weapons.

As apprentice Riders they did not have weapons made for themselves and had to make due with whatever was there for sparring. When a Rider graduated they got a weapon made specifically for themselves. Estara bowed to Rhunon showing her the most respect that she knew Rhunon would endure and thanked her simply, knowing that the "miserable old dragon" didn't like outward displays of affection. Rhunon nodded curtly at her and walked away, without saying goodbye.

Estara took a moment to look over her sheath before leaving, and it was just as beautiful as the sword, with large diamond mounted in the middle and the same gold leaf pattern that was on the hilt of her knives. Although the sheath was amazing in its own right, Estara was still overwhelmed with the beauty of the swords.

_What do you plan on naming it? _Tracker said, breaking his silence.

_I don't know_, Estara said back to him. _What could I call it that would capture all that it is?_ She thought about a name on her way back to the other side of the island. Her and Tracker agreed that they should alert Eragon about her most recent vision so Tracker angled his way to the largest tower, where Eragon's office was. Estara thought about a name for her knives. Nothing seemed to fit. Tracker gave her a few suggestions, but again he was at a loss as to what to call it.

They started exchanging memories, some from here on Vroengard and even from the mainland. Estara seemed to be drawn to her life before Tracker hatched for her, the teasing names the people of the village called her. Freak, oddling, witch-child…witch.

_Seither_, Estara said. Tracker seemed to like that and gave a hum of approval.

_Seitherblads, _Tracker said humming even louder. _Witch-blades._

Estara smiled. _That's perfect. _Tracker began to descend and they talked about her new weapon. _How amazing is it that Rhunon had Seitherblads ready for me today._

_She's been working on it while you were asleep_ Tracker said. _She made that one herself. She used…an elf and channeled the work herself._ Estara thought that the way he said this was odd. It's almost as if he was keeping something from her. She pushed for the information but Tracker evaded her questions with all the cunning of a dragon, so she gave up. Tracker landed in the field that they had their first day on Vroengard and they followed the well worn path to Eragon's office.

When she arrived, she knocked on the door and heard Eragon's voice call "Unin" and she knew that she could enter. She and Tracker waked in and Estara bowed, Tracker simply trumpeted his greeting. When she rose, she saw that Eragon, Arya and Eldwin seemed to be in deep conversation.

_I'm sorry if I have intruded ebrithil, _Estara said to the gathered assembly. _I can return later if you wish._

"No," Eragon said gesturing to a free chair across from him and next to Eldwin. "Please sit, this conversation pertains to you as well." She studied Eragon's face. Years of training allowed him to set his face in an impassive mask, like that of the elves, but Estara was excellent at reading people, and she could tell that something was bothering him greatly. In nearly silent strides she walked to the indicated chair and sat down sparing a quick glance at Eldwin. Tracker lumbered over to Gilda, Firnen and Saphira who all lay on the far side of the room along with a couple of Eldunari.

Eldwin was not as old as most elves. He was still considered only a few years out of childhood by their standard, and because he lacked the experience he was very easy to read. He was clearly upset, something disturbing had happened and he had just gotten the news of it. More over Eldwin seemed worried about her, as if this news would be particularly hard on her. Estara steeled herself and turned back to Eragon and Arya.

"There has been an attack," Arya said. Estara closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. She tapped into her mind and accessed the part of her power where her visions came from. All of her meditation exercises had allowed her to learn to access this part of her mind and quick flashes of her home village came into her mind and the gruesome visage of the Shade from her vision from last night.

_A Shade attacked my home village, _Estara said praying that she was wrong. She opened her eyes and saw the look of surprise on her masters faces and knew that she was right. _I had a vision in my sleep over the last couple of days. _And with that she began to recount her vision in as much detail as she could. A few times words failed her and she simply showed images of the carnage and gore that she had witnessed on the cliff in her vision.

She heard a fearsome growl and turned to see Saphira fangs barred in anger. _This Shade dares to disturb our hard won peace. He shall be dealt with._ she said with a sneer. Firnen echoed her sentiments. Estara turned back to Eragon to see that he was pale as the shade himself worry wrought clear on his features.

"This is not just a Shade," he said with a heavy sigh. He paused and rose from his seat and went to the bookshelves that lined one side of his office. He pulled out a well-worn volume and opened instantly to the page he seemed to be looking for. He returned and handed the book to Arya who upon reading its contents let out a curse,

"Barzul! This can't be." Eragon simply nodded wearily and Arya lowered her head before handing the book to Estara. She skimmed the page on Necromancers. Seeing that it was a vile form of magic that allowed the user to raise the bodies of the dead. Estara sighed and handed the book to Eldwin solemnly. He looked at the pages and echoed Arya's curse.

_If I had to guess,_ Tracker said from his position with the dragons_ The attack on the village may be nothing more than attempting to gather an army. If Estara's vision is correct he means to attack the capitol. _Silence engulfed the room at Trackers words. It was true, a village like that held no strategic value, unless Tracker was right and the Shade was simply gathering soldiers of the dead.

_The vision was clear ebrithil,_ Estara said. _You are the only hope we have of defeating him._ Estara watched Eragon sink at these words, his eyes bright with tears that didn't fall.

"You ask the one thing that I can not do Estara-Finiarea," Eragon sounded defeated.

"But why Ebrithil?" Eldwin asked in surprise and rage. "Would you abandon Alagaesia in its time of greatest need?" Arya glared daggers at the young elf but Eragon's tone was gentle and understanding.

"I can not return to the mainland." Eragon said sadly. "What I am about to tell you is not widely known and I would like it to remain so." They all swore in the ancient language to not share the story with any with out permission. And Eragon began his tale at the Minoa Tree little more than two hundred years ago. He spoke of rousing the tree from sleep and speaking to the spirit of Linnea, how Saphira burned her tree and Linnea cursed him, banished him from his home, never to return again. At the end of his story, Saphira leaned over and nudged Eragon comfortingly with her nose.

Estara thought feverishly for a way around the curse but none presented itself. But Tracker hummed with an idea. He quickly explained it to her and she had to agree that it made sense. It all made sense suddenly, her being mute, her odd approach to magic, being able to help the Nidhwal, it was all Fate showing it's hand for something much larger, much more important. She looked Tracker in the eyes and he radiated confidence.

_Ebrithil,_ Estara said _I can convince Linnea to forgive you._

Author's note: Yay that was fun! I've been writing all day and have this to show for it…so far. Estara's weapon is based off of an actual weapon I found online and its name really is a Flyssa and is native to Morocco. I took a little liberty with some of the ancient language words to get what I wanted but I'm super happy with the results. I wish there was a damn dictionary that was actually comprehensive for Paloini's language but alas all I can find is Inheriwiki. I feel like I'm finally in a groove with this story. You may actually be able to expect another update tomorrow, unless the Red Bull buzz wears off. Review please!

Lots of Love,

ChaCha


	6. Chapter 6

After Estara spoke, there was silence. You could have heard a feather drop. Tracker was the first to speak up. He spoke of how they had figured everything out, how Fate had showed it's hand. Tracker shared Estara's belief that there was something more powerful out there somewhere. When he had finished, chatter broke out among the Eldunari. The spoke in the dragons tongue but even Estara couldn't follow the conversation. When they had finally stopped a deep voice echoed in Estara's mind.

_The hatchling is right._ Eragon turned and stared and one of the Eldunari a large golden one a little larger than a dragon egg.

_Is it true ebrithil?_ Eragon asked projecting his thoughts. Estara felt the assent from the eldunari. _Then why have you told me about this before Master Glaedr. _Eragon's tone was angry and impudent.

_After more than two hundred years_, the dragons voice chastised _You still behave like the impatient child that Oromis and I met that day in Ellesmera. _Chastised Eragon adjusted his tone.

_I am sorry ebrithil, but you have to understand my frustration._

_I do_, Glaedr said kindly _but the time was never right. Allow me to show you all._ Estara felt her mind be over whelmed with the scene from Glaedr and allowed herself to be swept away by the story…

A long time ago, even before the fall of the Riders, Oromis and Glaedr were walking in the lush forests of Ellesmera. They had been sent on a mission to speak with King Evendar about the need for more lumber in the Broddring Kingdom and were trying to convince him to allow for more trees to be cut to make lumber for the people.

An agreement had finally been reached, in that the humans must plant a sapling for everyone they cut down, so that the forest can be maintained and the elves would see to it that the edges of the forests flourished with tree growth so that the humans would leave the inner forest alone.

Oromis and Glaedr looked so young, Estara had often seen the fairths of the pair as Eragon had known them, and noticed some striking differences. Oromis had not the haunted look of age and pain that echoed in his eyes in the pictures and Glaedr was not missing his leg. The pair spoke of nothing of consequence, going on about what the policies of the Riders were, and who had said what to whom.

Suddenly a large white raven landed on the path in front of them. The bird flitted about clawing and screeching "Wyrda", cocking his head to one side or the other. Oromis let out a laugh of genuine pleasure at the antics of the odd bird.

"How goes your day Blagden?" Oromis asked as if speaking to another person and not a bird. The bird once again called out "Wyrda" before becoming strangely still. The bird fixed his eyes on Glaedr and croaked out in his odd cawing voice.

"Mute of tongue and burnished hair adorn the girl you want

When dead do rise and start to walk and trees do Heroes daunt.

When the time is right

the dragon-child shall heal the tree of anger-blight.

But she'll fail to save him in the end though she does what's right" Blagden ended his rhyme with another "Wyrda" and then flew off without another word. Oromis and Glaedr's eyes followed the bird as far as they could but soon he was lost to sight.

"What do you think his words mean?" Oromis asked staring off in to the distance with a contemplative stare. "His word were clearly meant for you."

_I'm not sure_, the great gold dragon cocked his head much like the bird had. _But 'dragon-child' echoes something in my memories, as if it's important._

"Heal the tree of anger-blight," Oromis muttered to himself. Turning his attention to Glaedr he took a deep breath. "I suppose we won't know what it means until the time is upon us."

_Very true, _Glaedr rumbled. _But I still plan on asking the elder dragons upon our return to Vroengard._

Days later in the skies over Vroengard, Glaedr was flying with one of the elder dragons Umaroth. _You speak of an ancient magic, even by dragon standards Glaedr gold-wing._ Umaroth said in his deep gravely tones. _The legend is that a group of like-minded dragons, perhaps annoyed that no creature could understand us, cast a spell that in one of the two-leg pointed ears, a child be born with the capacity to understand us. That was a long time before the dragon wars that almost destroyed us and the elves and by that time was all but forgotten by most dragons. _

_A child was born and named Eragon, who you know as the founder of our order with Bid'Daum his dragon, and created peace between us. He was known to us as the dragon-child, the one gifted by our ancient magic to understand what no one else could. The spells of the Ageti Blodren gave us the ability to speak in the languages on the two legged. It was agreed that the dragons remember the spell, so that in another time of great need, we could summon another dragon-child to understand what others can not. _

_Is this that time Master? _Glaedr asked

_I have never known Blagden's prophesy to be false, _Umaroth answered _But I will ask the rest of the council what they think. This is not magic to be taken lightly, and it very well may alter the very course of the world as we know it._

The council of elder dragons convened and after much deliberation agreed that the time was right for another dragon-child. The spell was cast and sent to roam the world, waiting to find the right soul. Glaedr shared the moment that he knew the spell had taken root, and informed the other dragons of the decision of the council so many years ago. All the dragons waited patiently for the next ten years, until Estara showed up, mute of tongue, burnished hair, with her silver little dragon.

Glaedr released his memories from the minds of everyone and Estara was returned to her own thoughts. Estara couldn't pinpoint her feelings, they were somewhere between anger and relief. Anger that her chance at a normal life had been taken away by the birds prophesy, and relief to finally know why she was so different.

_Again Fate rears it head, _Tracker said. This abated her anger somewhat. Everything was happening for a reason, so that Eragon could return to the mainland and destroy the Shade. This was all in place for a reason and that made Estara feel much better. Then a nasty thought entered her mind.

_Tracker, _she said briskly. _Did you know about this? Did you know that I was the dragon-child?_ A long pause hung between them and Estara was vaguely aware that Eragon, Arya and Eldwin were talking about the plan form here on out.

_Yes,_ came Tracker's reply. Estara was livid. He who was supposed to be her best friend, he who she had shared everything with, the one she trusted above all others.

_How could you keep something like this from me?_ she glared at him, and Tracker turned his head away in shame.

_I didn't want to keep it from you,_ he said sadly. _I had to swear an oath that I wouldn't reveal it to you until the right time came. _

_And this, _Estara shouted in his mind with as much contempt as she could muster. _This was the right time! What about all the nights I cried myself to sleep because of something someone said about me being odd. All the nights I shared with you what it was like to grow up despised for being different? Those were not the right times? The right time is now, being blind sighted in front of Eragon, the queen and…_she let her tirade fizzle out as she thought of what to call Eldwin, not a friend not an enemy but something else entirely.

_I'm sorry, _Tracker said his mind radiating shame and apology. Estara felt bad about her tirade, but she was to angry to care if she was acting like a child. She shot up and out of her chair, and with not so much as a parting word to those gathered, stomped towards the door.

Just before she made it she felt the ground rumble and a great blue mass that she assumed was Saphira landed in front of her blocking her way out. She glanced up to see the great blue dragon glaring at her ferociously.

_Though I don't care for the ceremonies that you two legged seem to enjoy, _Saphira growled in her mind _I will not have you take out your fury on you partner-of-hearts. It is not his fault but mine that he withheld the information from you and I will not watch you act as a petulant child._

Estara fumed for a moment and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. She remembered a flash of memory just two days ago of Saphira and her mentor Glaedr. With a smirk Estara bowed mockingly to Saphira and said _Were you not just as petulant as I am now when trying to court Glaedr, ebrithil?_ She made the honorific sound as snide as she could in the face of the great dragon. Saphira surprised her by letting out a mighty roar bringing the full fury of the dragons in the face of Estara.

Estara just stood there staring at the dragon with all the pride that she could summon, standing toe to claw in front of Saphira's fury. When the echoes of the Saphira's roar subsided, no one spoke. Saphira let out a laugh, which confused Estara, and then moved out of her way.

Estara did her best to run from that place, but Saphira linked her mind with her and said, _The spell chose well if you can face down a dragon in all its fury and not flinch, dragon-child. Take your time to heal your heart, but remember that my hatchling had no choice. _Before severing her link with Saphira, Estara apologized for her actions and then continued running.

Estara was always fast, even as a child when she and her brother had raced, she had always beaten him. And even now, running to clear her mind, with Seitherblads strapped to her back it was no different. She severed her link with Tracker, and though it pained her to do it, she knew she just needed to be alone right now.

She ran to the forest, past her golden tree and beyond. When she could finally run no more she stopped and tried to get her bearings. She knew it was late at night, and that she was miles from the main areas of Vroengard, but she had no idea where in the forest she was. She looked around and found a tall sturdy tree and began to climb. Half way to the top she knew she couldn't climb anymore. She may be a Rider, but she did not have an elf's strength and stamina.

She found a sturdy branch, and leaning against the trunk of the tree, settled down to think. She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her arms on them, and stared up into the sky. She kept thinking of the ravens prophesy over and over again.

Most of it now was pretty clear to her. She was the child with burnished hair, the Shade was raising the dead and she had to convince Linnea, the spirit inside the Menoa Tree to allow Eragon to return to Alagaesia. She have to figure out the how to abate the anger and hatred that Linnea held for him. But the last bit gave her trouble. Fail to save him, save who? Eragon, no that didn't seem right. Perhaps the King? Then a frightening thought overtook her, what if him was Eldwin?

She toiled over that thought for a while. She wasn't sure what she felt towards him. For twenty years she existed convinced that he hated her. But in the last few days she had seen a completely different side of him, one that she didn't know what to make of. From out of nowhere her father's words echoed in her mind _he must really like you._ But that's impossible. Elves and humans, whether or not they were Riders, were not a good match. She toiled over the idea that maybe her father was right, when she heard the light footfalls of an elf following her path.

She looked down to see Eldwin standing beneath the tree that she was perched in. He looked around and then up, and spotted her on her branch. He deftly made his way up the tree, seeming to float to the next branch until he was seated two feet from her on the branch, staring at her with intense blue eyes.

"That was quite some exit," he said watching her for a reaction. Estara simply nodded. "The queen wanted to censure you but Eragon argued otherwise. His defense was that he acted not too differently when he knew the weight of the world rested on his shoulders." Estara sighed. She was very glad that Eragon was so understanding, she knew the punishment was serious for her sort of defiance. "How are you handling all of this?"

Estara bristled and bit back the angry words that made their way to her mind. She knew that Eldwin was only trying to help. _To be honest_ she said _better that it looks. _

"Good," Eldwin laughed. "Because it looks really bad." There was a long pause. "If you're doing alright with this than what was with the dramatic exit?" Estara swallowed and shared the story with him, Eldwin's face remaining impassive the whole time. When she finished the story of Tracker's betrayal, he cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Something similar happened with Gilda once." Estara stared in shock, was this common, dragons keeping information from their Riders. "Not to this level, something much smaller, really trivial when you compare it to this, but…" he tailed off, suddenly looking embarrassed. Estara gave him a reassuring smile, something she never thought she would do only two days ago. "Well you know those extra long hunting trips that Gilda and Tracker sometimes go on, well they've been mating, for a several years." He paused here waiting for Estara's response, and she simply nodded.

It was no secret really. Tracker had told her before he had even broached then subject with Gilda. She had always thought it a fit match. "Well, Gilda never told me, until Rogan made some off handed comment about the two of them flying to their nest, and I put it all together. I was hurt that she hadn't told me, she defended that she didn't want to because of the way I felt about you," he looked up at her trying to gauge her reaction. Estara just smiled weakly, she was silly to have thought that he had feelings for her. "Well, it hurt, but we always share so much as dragon and Rider that I guess sometimes it just feels good to keep something to yourself, even if that something is important." Eldwin finished and turned his head to stare at the night sky.

Estara took a little comfort at his words. Yes the matter of Tracker and Gilda mating seemed trivial, but at least he knew how she felt and that made her feel not so alone.

"So," Eldwin said clearing his throat. "Eragon has ordered that you will leave for Ellesmera tomorrow morning." Estara was surprised slighty at this, she'd be leaving Vroengard again so soon. But it was really not all that shocking. The 'weight of the world' was now on her shoulders. "I'll be going with you." Eldwin finished. This was shocking.

_Why you?_ Estara asked him, trying not to offend him.

"I volunteered." And with that Eldwin bid her farewell and lept from the tree, leaving her with more confused thoughts.

That night when she returned to her room, Tracker was already asleep. Estara crossed to her wardrobe and changed into something more comfortable for sleep. When she finally crawled into bed, Tracker placed his large heavy head next to hers on the bed. She reestablished her link with him, and simply said _I'm sorry._ Tracker responded by nuzzling his head closer to her. Estara rolled over on to her stomach, throwing one arm over Trackers muzzle, and drifted off to sleep.

The whole night she dreamt of snow. Ice and sleet pounded down on her, snow piled as high as her thighs as she trudged through to something. When she awoke it was just before dawn, and although she had slept with Tracker's warm head next to her, she couldn't shake the chills. She rose and bathed. She took particular care to brush out an braid her hair in one long tail on the back of her head. Tracker laughed at this.

_Is it just me or are you taking more care with your appearance this morning?_

_It's just you,_ Estara glared at him, but this only caused him to laugh more. But she had to ask herself, was she? She liked to braid her long hair before a journey, since the wind factor from flying usually made it a mess. Estara nodded that this was logical and was the reason she was taking extra care.

She grabbed her saddle bags from their spot near the door and packed a few things. A spare change of clothes, some extra food, a hunting knife, encase supplies ran out and her bow and quiver. She glanced at her coats, she grabbed a light weight one made of leather with a hood to protect from the elements and threw it on. She closed the wardrobe door. She paused thinking about her dream from the night before, all that snow. She grabbed a heavy winter cloak and crammed it into the saddle bag as well.

She asked Tracker to remind Gilda to have Eldwin pack something heavy. Eldwin's response came back via Tracker, that it was spring on the mainland and it wouldn't be necessary. She grabbed a second lighter weight cloak, and hoped that her dream had just been that, a dream. She slung the bags over her shoulder and grabbed Seitherblads and walked out the door.

The sun was just peaking out over the horizon when she saw Gilda and Eldwin meeting her in the field. He had a large sword slung over his back, the scabbard a glittery gold that matched Gilda perfectly. She felt bad that she had never asked if he had been promoted after the Vakna. But then he had never asked her and she dismissed the thought.

Eragon, Arya, Saphira and Firnen joined them to bid farewell. As Eldwin and Arya spoke, Eragon took the opportunity to pull Estara aside.

"Do you really think that you can do this Estara?" Eragon asked. Estara noted that he had dropped all the honorifics and manners of the elves and simply spoke to her as a fellow human.

_I really do Eragon, _she responded in kind and not using the title master felt foreign. Eragon smiled brightly and pulled her in for a strong hug. Estara stiffened for a moment and realized that this was his way of thanking her for what she was about to do, and retuned the hug. Estara heard Saphira laugh somewhere next to them, but she didn't care.

"Take care of yourself." Eragon whispered before he released her. She smiled up at him trying to find the words to thank him for everything. Eragon just smiled and in an odd moment, ruffled her hair, exactly as her brother had done so many years ago. She indulged a moment and rolled her eyes, earning a loud laugh. Eragon took a step back from her and resumed his proper behavior. "Atra esterni ono thelduin,." Estara was shocked that Eragon Shadeslayer, leader of the Riders, would do her the honor of speaking first in the old elfish blessing. Estara responded in kind,

_Atra du evarinya ono vada_. At the last Saphira chimed in with her deep purring tone, _Mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta._

With that blessing still ringing in her ears, Estara climbed on to Tracker and Eldwin followed suit, and they took off into the sunrise.

Author's note: Next chapter up. Hope you all enjoy it. The bit about the first Eragon being a dragon child is my own take on things, but I really like how it fits into this story. In Eldest, Glaedr talks about dragons being tamed by the spell and gifted with the ability to speak. So my idea is that the first Eragon was also blessed by the dragons and could understand them better than anyone, making his connection with his dragon possible. Again it's off cannon, but I like to think that it could have happened, and alls fair in FanFiction.

This is already the longest piece I've written and I'm only about halfway done. I'm feeling rather proud of that. Please Review and let me know what you think. Thanks to all of you who did review and thanks to all you who put this story on your alerts.

Lots of Love,

ChaCha


	7. Chapter 7

With Vroengard at their backs, Estara and Eldwin began to discuss their path to Ellesmera. Estara wanted to fly over the Spine and leading them on a near straight path to Ellesmera. Eldwin argued that although the mountains of the Spine were not too high to fly over, that it would be easier to skirt the coast down to Teirm and then head north again from there.

Estara didn't like this plan, she wanted to get to the Menoa tree as quickly as she could, so that they could head off the Shade before he got too close to Ilirea. But when they drew close to the spine and she saw the snow capped mountain tops, she agreed that it would be best if they went to Teirm first.

They're journey south along the coast was uneventful. The dragons would take off to 'hunt' after they made camp for the night leaving Estara alone with Eldwin. They spoke very little in these times alone, but Estara found that Eldwin wasn't bad company. When they did talk, he would often share funny stories about growing up in Ellesmera, and she in return would share stories about her home village.

Eldwin watched her closely whenever she spoke of home, as if she would break down and start crying at the thought of it being decimated by the Shade. She was saddened, yes, that her home had been destroyed and the people corrupted by the vile magic wielded by the Shade. But she had no one there that she even knew anymore, most of the people who she had grown up with had either moved or died over the years.

They arrived after a few days in the city of Teirm, and although Estara was impressed by the planning of this beautiful city, it paled in comparison to Vroengard. It was a fortress, carefully planned so that it would be nearly impossible to take this city. As they drew closer, Eldwin sounded the horn, that was always blown to alert the presence of Riders.

This was especially important if the city had any magic users who might attack thinking the town was under siege. After the fall of Galbatorix, Queen Nasuada decreed that every one in the kingdom should be tested for magical abilities. If someone was found having this talent, they were sent to an academy, where they could learn to control their powers. Originally, the elves had overseen the teaching, but once Murtagh had returned after years of wandering, he began to teach as well.

Not only was every person with the ability trained, but each person was evaluated deep in their minds, to see if any darkness was there. The goal of this, was to stop anyone with evil intentions from becoming too powerful. If a person like that was found, they were shipped of to Vroengard to work with Eragon himself. The leader of the riders would try to work through the anger and rage, and-as a last resort- if he failed, he would strip them of their powers, locking the magic away somewhere where it could not be accessed. This did not happen very often. Only a few of times in the last two hundred years. A rouge evil magician would crop up from time to time, but not very often.

Once the magicians had graduated from the academy, they would leave to start their own path in the world. The only rules they were forced to live by, were to announce themselves to whatever local government, and to aide they're cities in times of crisis-like drought, famine or plague, and to aide in the defense of their home in any way they could. This was a much looser set of restrictions than the queen had originally come up with, and it seemed to work out well for everyone.

Upon leaving the academy, magicians had many skills, as healers or herbalists but many sought employment with local governments aiding in the protection of the town from thieves and random attacks from marauders.

When Estara and Eldwin had landed in the city square, they were surrounded by large crowds, some waving others pointing others staring in awe. Estara felt the minds of everyone of them, and once again she got flashes of so many memories that it made her dizzy. Tracker stepped in to block off the minds from her, but Estara stopped him.

_I have to learn to do this on my own_, She said to him. _I have to learn to control these flashes otherwise I'll always been overwhelmed._

_I know, _Tracker said _But I am here if you change your mind._. Estara was grateful that her and Tracker were back to normal, she was still a little upset that he withheld the knowledge that she was the dragon-child, but she understood that she may not have been ready to accept her role any sooner than now. The din in her mind, all the flashes of odd memories she was feeling, was starting to subsided, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The gathered crowd parted, and a petite, well dressed woman entered the crowd. She was surrounded by soldiers and several magicians, and Estara assumed that this was Lady Nia, the leader of Teirm. She really was a tiny slip of a woman, barely coming up to Estara's shoulders. Despite her stature, Nia had a regal air in her manner and Estara had heard that she was a particularly kind ruler, and she liked the little woman instantly.

Estara and Eldwin dismounted, and bowed to Lady Nia. She in returned bowed back to them, a great sign of respect. When she rose she opened her arms in greeting.

"Welcome Dragon Riders." she called in a loud voice that seemed odd coming from such a small person. "Welcome to Teirm. Please stay and rest from your travels."

"Thank you," Eldwin said. They had agreed that he would speak for the group seeing as the rest of them couldn't. "We would be honored by you hostility." Lady Nia gestured for them to follow her and they set off for the citadel in the middle of the city. The dragons were instructed to fly on a head and that they would find rooms at the top of the citadel.

Lady Nia paused and watched as the dragons flew to the tower and out of sight. "I have seen dragons before," she said "But I am always amazed at the grace and beauty of such creatures." Estara could feel Tracker and Gilda's happiness at the nobles words and Eldwin thanked her for them. "I have not gotten your names Riders." Lady Nia said with a wide smile.

"I am Eldwin," Eldwin inclined his head slightly with a kind smile on his face, "And this is Estara Nidhwal'tugal." Estara shot Eldwin a displeased look but Lady Nia turned to her in surprise.

"Really?" Lady Nia looked at Estara with new found admiration. "I've heard tales of your battle with the ancient creatures, rumors mostly I assume." Estara nodded. She was surprised when she felt Lady Nia's mind touch her own and say, _Is it true you can not speak?_

_It is true, my lady. _Estara responded with a smile.

"Well," Lady Nia said with a wide smile. "Perhaps you can regale me with the whole story tonight at the feast."

_I would be honored to set the record straight, my lady. _Estara smiled widely and they resumed their walk to the citadel.

Hours later, Eldwin and Estara finally made it to their quarters. Estara was exhausted. She would have much rather gone through ten rounds of sparing with Eldwin than have to endure the parade of nobles that wanted to meet the pair of Riders that had descended to Teirm unexpectedly. There were Riders stationed in all the major cities that helped settle disputes and protect the people, but they were now considered boring to the nobles who were eager for new stories and 'new blood' as one man had put it.

She had faired much better than Eldwin, who outside of the human Riders, had not spent much time around humans and was off put by the differences in what was considered rude topics of conversation. They had only a few hours of rest before Lady Nia was sending up baths and garments for them to wear to the feast tonight.

Estara took a moment to stare at the room that she and Eldwin had been provided. It was one large room, large enough to have fit both Firnen, Saphira comfortably. Two beds had been set up in the room on opposite sides of the room. There was no ceiling, Lady Nia had informed them of such, but magicians had place a spell that would not allow rain or snow to fall into the room, so she knew that they'd be protected from the elements.

"Not much privacy," Eldwin commented from her side. Estara nodded in agreement. It was really just one wide open space and the thought of bathing in front of Eldwin made her blush.

_They thought of that,_ Gilda said amusement clear in her voice. Estara turned to Eldwin and saw a blush covering his face, and she wondered if he'd had the same thought. Gilda turned her great head and indicated a large piece of fabric that when pulled out formed a partition of sorts that would allow for privacy. Eldwin excused himself for a nap and pulled the partition closed behind him.

Estara sat on her bed, and stared at the open sky above her. She allowed herself to think, and as always happened when she was left alone for too long, her thought turned to her brother. She wondered if he was alive, if he knew of their parents death, if he was ok, if he was thinking of her. A pit began to form in her stomach and she darkly wondered if she would encounter him a walking dead solider of the Shade. Her thoughts turned darker and she began to get a horrible feeling, she pushed the thoughts from her mind as she refused to accept that vile idea.

After a short time she began to share her thoughts with Tracker. He didn't have much to comment on but he was a good listener, and just having him there was a huge help to ease Estara's dark mood. After a while she stretched out on her bed, and soon fell asleep.

What felt like minutes later, she was woken up by Eldwin, saying that the baths had arrived and dinner was in an hour. She shook her head, and looked around the room again. A large copper tub had been brought up and filled with hot water. She looked closer at it, the bath seemed to be mixed with oils and some milky substance that made the water opaque, it smelled wonderful though.

_It may smell wonderful to you_, Tracker squinted his nose as if the smell offended him _But to me it's completely overwhelming._ Estara laughed lightly.

_I'm so sorry that you feel that way. But how often do I get pampering like this?_ Tracker snarled playfully and agreed that the smell was not too awful. Estara stripped her clothes off, making sure the partition was closed, and slipped into the bath. She let out a deep sigh and every muscle in her body relaxed. The oils that had been poured into the bath smelled heavenly and pushed the last vestiges of her earlier dark thoughts far from her mind.

After simply soaking and relaxing for a few minutes she began to wash scrubbing the grime and dirt from their travels from every inch of her. She got off and dried off, putting on a robe that had been left out for her. She saw that a fire had been stared in the fire pit and she sat near to it on a small stool, drying her hair. When she was completely dry and warm, two young people entered the room, a young man with dark hair and a young woman with wild red curly hair that was barely contained by her braid. The young man bowed deeply and announced he was there to aide Eldwin in dressing for the party, and strode off to the other side of the partition.

The young woman bowed deeply and introduced herself and Amanya, Lady Nia's hand maid. Amanya gave her permission to speak directly into her mind, and began the work of dressing Estara for tonight's festivities. Amanya was a cheerful chatty girl and Estara liked her very much. She spoke of all the Lords and Ladies who would be attending tonight's festivities and that even Rider Orik and his dragon Korgan.

_Orik?_ Estara asked _Like the dwarf king?_

"A grandson of his actually," Amanya said. "Named for the dwarf king himself. My the dwarf king has lived a long time hasn't he?" Estara nodded and smiled. Dwarves were naturally longer lived than humans and the oldest among them lived to be around two hundred. But king Orik was every day approaching three hundred and was still as active as ever. Estara had long wondered if Eragon had placed a longevity spell on his foster brother on one of Orik's trips to Vroengard. Estara understood why now more than ever, it was painful watching your loved ones pass away to be left to morn them alone.

"There we are," Amanya stood back from Estara and smiled. Estara looked at herself in the mirror, the woman who looked back at her was beautiful. She wore a long coal black dress that complimented her pale skin and silver hair perfectly. The dress was gathered tight around the waist and left to flow loose and full around her hips and legs. Amanya spun her index finger around in a circle indicating that Estara should spin around to get the feel of the dress.

Estara smirked as she twirled once, then twice. Amanya laughed and Estara smiled brightly. She had never, in her life looked so much like a girl.

"Would you like me to do something with your hair?" Amnaya asked with a glint in her eyes. Estara nodded, knowing that the girl was eager to play with her long hair. She pulled the short stool away from the fire and sat down and Amanya set to work combing and arranging her hair, chatting away the whole time.

"So," Amnaya lowered her voice and looked around. "That Eldwin is quite the handsome fellow isn't he?" Estara was rather taken aback by this statement. She had never really thought about him that way before.

_Yes,_ Estara said. _I suppose he is._ She felt Tracker's amusement through their link and wondered why it was so funny.

"Is he…attached to anyone?" Amanya asked coyly. Estara smiled, so Amanya was attracted to Eldwin.

_Not to my knowledge,_ Estara smiled. Amanya just raised an eyebrow and changed the subject. A short time later, Amanya told her she was done and she went and looked in the mirror. Her long flowing hair had been neatly contained in several interwoven braids and black ribbons, creating an intricate hairstyle the like of which Estara had only seen in Ilirea. Movement caught Estara's eyes and she flickered her eyes to focus on Eldwin's face in the mirror.

His golden tan skin was scrubbed clean and his hair was combed and trimmed. He was wearing a burgundy tunic made of velvet and black leggings that fitted perfectly, and knee high polished black boots. He stared back at her in the mirror as if thinking of something to say, and she took the time to stare back. If she was being honest she had to admit that he was devilishly handsome with his intense blue eyes and pointed ears giving him a playful appearance that she had never noticed before, and his eyes seemed to balance the playfulness with a burning intensity.

She hid these thoughts from Tracker, they were a little embarrassing and she knew he would tease her endlessly for them. She tore her eyes away from his in time for the young man who dressed Eldwin entered. He introduced himself as Todd and he was just as chatty as Amanya. He gushed over how beautiful she looked and then turned to Eldwin and asked,

"Don't you think so Argetlam?" Eldwin balked at the personal question.

"Yes," he replied in a soft voice. "She does look lovely." Estara smiled at him warmly in thanks for his praise. "We really should head down to dinner." The young pair bowed and offered assurances that they would have a wonderful time, leaving Eldwin and Estara alone in the room. Estara could feel Eldwin's gaze on her and she turned her back on him, hiding her blush.

They rode their dragons down to the covered courtyard that the feast was to be held in. When they landed, two footmen ran over to help Estara dismount from Tracker. This irritated her somewhat. She was the same person who freed the Nidhwals, a Dragon Rider, and here were a bunch of people treating her as if she was fragile simply because she now wore a fancy gown. She accepted their help, as to not offend them and walked into the festivities already in progress.

People were mingling, wandering around with goblets of wine or flagons of ale. She never cared for the effect that alcohol had on her, but she accepted a small glass of dwarves mead, mutter spells for the detection of poison and once she found it was fine, tipped the glass to her lips. If she had to drink, it would most definitely be the dwarves mead. The sweet and tart flavors made the drink a special treat and the alcohol seemed to have little effect on her mind.

She listened to the chatter of the nobles, responding to questions or stories when it was required. She caught brief glances of Eldwin through out the night and he was just as deluged as she was in terms of people clamoring for her attention.

Eventually the Rider Orik found her and introduced himself. She had never met him before, but that was hardly uncommon. There were so many riders now that it was very hard to keep track of. Tracker and Gilda were a particularly busy with people clamoring to introduce themselves to the silver and gold dragons.

A bell sounded signaling that dinner was about to begin. Everyone moved to the three large tables set up in a horseshoe in the court yard. The night had all the briskness of a typical spring night, so fire pits were lit around the court yard to warm the air. Estara and Eldwin were set to the right and left of Lady Nia with Orik to Estara's right and some lord to Eldwin's left. Dinner was served and with that the entertainment started. Musicians, poets, actors and even acrobats had been summoned from around the city on short notice to perform at the feast, and it seem that none rejected the invitation. As soon as one performer finished another one started.

Estara felt a familiar pain in her temples and, excused herself from the table. Tracker sent his worry to her, and she assured him she was fine just another vision. She fought the vision long enough to find a quiet place, with no one around and that place was a broom cupboard. As she opened the door she started to loose the fight with the vision, the last thing she remembered was a pair of arms lifting her up before she lost touch with reality.

Estara found herself in the darkness again. She looked for the glowing orange light and ran toward it. She assumed she would come out on the cliff overlooking Ilirea again, but instead she came upon a sight that was just as horrific. She stood in the middle of a burning city, and she was sure that this was Ellesmera. She ran around seeing the ground littered with the bodies of elves most burnt beyond recognition, some succumbed to smoke inhalation and died craving air. She heard a wailing and ran to find it. She followed a well worn path to a large tree and instantly knew that it was the Menoa tree. Is was burning like a house of straw, the tree was nearly reduced to cinders, the forest behind it was ablaze and wall of heat nearly knocked Estara off her feet. Through the smoke Estara could just make out the figure of an elf woman, wailing and tearing her clothes.

The woman appeared older than most elves that she had seen and as she approached the woman stopped and stared at her with hatred.

"My forest," she screamed "My tree." She let out a wail and began to cry again. A name jumped unbidden to Estara's lips.

"Linnea," she said aloud. Linnea turned to Estara and with all the speed of an elf she launched herself at Estara, knocking her over and wrapped her hands around her throat. Estara couldn't breathe, she was fighting and clawing at Linnea but to no avail, the elf woman had caught her off her guard and overpowered her.

"This," Linnea screamed her tears falling on Estara's face "This is all your fault dragon-child. You could have stopped all this, but you had to save him and now my forest will burn and all of Alagaesia is doomed." Estara's vision started to black out and she couldn't feel her limbs any more. The last thing she saw before she was engulfed by the darkness, was Linnea's rage filled, tearstained face.

Estara felt warm strong hands holding her up, one on her waist and another tenderly cupped her neck. She heard a familiar voice call her name, frantically. She fought to open her eyes and she could sense Tracker's worry and panic. She calmed him down telling him it was just an awful vision and she'd tell him about it later. She shook her head and finally opened her eyes and was met with Eldwin's blue eyes, bright with tears. He pulled her close and held her for a minute.

"You had stopped breathing," he said his voice cracked with panic. Estara remembered with a shiver how Linnea had strangled her, she remembered the panic she felt when she could no longer breathe. _Did the vision really cause me to stop breathing_, she thought. She noticed then that her lungs were burning and her heart was racing as if she had just been running. Eldwin released her and held her by the shoulders, "What did you see?"

_It's best to tell you later,_ Estara said to him, puzzled by his outright display of affection. _We should get back before someone starts to miss us. _Her legs were still quaking from fear and Eldwin had to support her to get them back to the tables. When she was finally seated again, next to Orik, she did her best to keep up his excited conversation but ate nothing more. Her mouth seemed to taste like smoke, and after what she had just seen she had no appetite.

The feast continued for some time, until everyone had finished and the tables were cleared and moved away. When Estara ask Orik why he laughed,

"For dancing. It's not customary but Lady Nia loves to dance and uses feasts as a way to indulge that love. I hope that you will grace me with a dance tonight."

_Of course I will,_ Estara said genuinely. She liked Orik, he was easy to talk to and loved to laugh. He reminded her so much of her friend Beogar that she wondered if they knew each other.

"Know him," Orik said with a loud laugh. "He is mine cousin on my father's side." Just then the musicians struck up a lively jig and Orik led her to the floor. On Vorengard they had been taught the customs of the various cultures in Alagaesia, and dancing was among one of the things taught. It would have seemed rude if the Riders didn't partake in every aspect of the celebrations they attended. Estara always loved dancing, she was light on her feet and enjoyed the way that music seemed to resonate in her soul.

She could hear Tracker and Gilda humming along. When the song ended and the next one began, she was surprised when Eldwin asked her to dance. This dance was slower and more intricate but Eldwin was a good lead.

"Tell me about the vision," he whispered in her ear so that they could not be overheard.

_Not here, Eldwin._

"Give me something" he pleaded. "The vision caused you to stop breathing, that can't be good."

Estara thought for a moment before turning her eyes away from his and simply said, _Ellesmera. _Before Eldwin had time to react to her news the doors to the courtyard flew open and a tall dark man ran in. He collapsed to his knees and screamed, "Belatona has been attacked," before he crashed to the floor and lost consciousness.

Authors Note: Muahahahhahaha . Ok maniacal laughter out of the way. I'm sorry about the cliff hangers, when I'm reading they drive me crazy but sometimes the best place to stop a chapter and begin a new one is after a bombshell. Not to worry I'll have another chapter up really soon.

Lots of Love,

ChaCha


	8. Chapter 8

The crowd was too stunned to move. Estara bolted to the man, and penetrated his mind. He was a magician, and since he was unconscious his defenses were nonexistent. While she scanned his memories of Belatona, she checked his body for injuries. Fortunately, he was perfectly healthy, he just seemed to be in shock.

Estara winced as she saw the report from the magician in Belatona. Out of thirty magicians only five remain. Half the cities population had been killed and raised from the dead as soilders, the other half ran in terror to the fortress and locked themselves in. It had been the Shade that had attacked. The oddest part of the report, was that suddenly the Shade seemed to loose interest in the fortress-just as he was about to gain the upper hand-and called his dead soldiers into retreat.

Estara worked on coaxing the magician from his slumber with a few spells, he awoke screaming. She told him everything was fine and that he could now sleep without dreams, and the man fell into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

She searched for Eldwin's mind and told him everything that she had gleaned from the man. Lady Nia's guards were already escorting guests out of the courtyard and insisting they go home. Very quickly it was just Lady Nia, and the three Riders and their dragons. Eldwin shared the report from Belatona, leaving out anything that they knew when they arrived. Most of it pertained to the prophesy and that Eragon could not return to the mainland anyway and it was not something they could share.

Orik swore up and down in dwarfish. Eldwin told Lady Nia that they were headed in that direction and would leave tonight to get onto the Shades path. Orik offered to go with them, but Eldwin insisted that he remain in Teirm.

"It's better to have a strong Rider here to protect the city incase he is headed this way." Eldwin insisted. "We will get the message to Vroengard to send any available Riders to the mainland to help." Lady Nia ordered that traveling supplies be sent to their room and then swiftly hugged Estara.

"You will have to tell me that story sometime," Lady Nia smiled. Estara inclined her head,

_Of course I will, my lady. Thank you for your hospitality. _Lady Nia waved a hand as if to say that it was nothing and then shooed the Riders to their Dragons. Tracker and Gilda took of to the top of the tower. Once there Eldwin grabbed a mirrior out of his saddle bags, muttered a spell and Eragon could be seen in the mirror.

It took a moment for Eragon to realizes that they were there, he appeared to be reading. When he looked up he didn't seem all that surprised.

"I didn't expect to hear from you so soon," Eragon said.

"Unfortunately, ebrithil, we do not have the best of news." Eldwin said and he launched in to the report from Belatona. Estara took this time to dart behind the partition and change into her traveling clothes. She listened intently to the conversation and she tried to extract herself from the gown. It took a little magic, but she was able to get out and back into her own clothes.

"This is not good," Eragon said as Eldwin finished his tale, and Estara entered the room. "I thought we may have more time." He paused here. "What would make a Shade, so close to total victory, call his forces to retreat?" It was a rhetorical question, but one Estara wished someone would answer all the same.

"One more thing," Eldwin said. "Estara had a vision."

"Another one?" Eragon asked. "So soon? What was it?"

"I'm not sure," Eldwin said turning to Estara. "Something about Ellesmera." There was a hush in the room.

"Ellesmera," Eragon muttered to himself. "What happened?" Eldwin turned to Estara expectantly expecting to relay her vision, but she surprised him. She linked her mind with Tracker and Gilda and summoning all her strength, she placed an hand on the mirror. She took a deep breath and concentrated on her vision. She heard Eragon gasp and when she opened her eyes she saw her vision, replaying itself in full on the mirror's reflective surface. She closed her eyes, as if concentrating on maintaining the spell, but in reality she couldn't bring herself to look at these ghastly images again.

When the vision was done replaying itself, there was silence. No one spoke. Ellesmera was the elves stronghold, and for it to be conquered meant that they were dealing with something altogether different than anything they had ever faced before. Even Galbatorix, with all his power, hadn't dared move on the elves the way that this Shade was planning on doing, if her vision was correct.

"This is far worse," Eragon said his voice laced with pain "Than I could ever have imagined. If this Shade is strong enough to march on Iliera and Ellesmera, I don't know it there is hope that he can be defeated." Estara stared at her mentor in shock. Here was Eragon, leader of the Riders, King Killer, Shadeslayer, and if the rumors were true, keeper of the name of the ancient language-the one word that could control everything. And he was telling her that her mission may be impossible.

Anger surged through her and she relayed her words to Eragon through Eldwin. "You sit there, safe in Vroengard, and tell me that this mission is worthless. Are you too sacred to face the Shade, ebrithil? What hope does that give to Eldwin and I that even if we succeed on our mission, that we will avert the tragedy of Alagaesia burning to the ground, the corpses of our loved ones reanimated to serve the wicked whims of the Shade. You are the only one who can defeat the Shade, and I will not take one step closer to Ellesmera unless you vow that you will hold up your end of the bargain."

Estara knew her words were harsh, and she watched Eldwin cringe as he relayed every one. She heard Saphira laugh from behind Eragon and she lowered her great blue head into the frame and bared her teeth, in what Estara knew to be a smile. When at last Eragon spoke, there was no anger in his voice as she had expected.

"I think," Eragon said slowly as if thinking over every word. "I think that my years of teaching and training has made me forget the courage that I have, the courage that you showed me just now Estara. I will hold up my end of the bargain. You convince the Menoa Tree to forgive her curse and you will see a battle the likes of which haven't been seen in Alagaesia in two hundred years." By the end of his speech there was steel in his voice, a passion that could not be ignored.

Estara bowed and the mirror went dark. Eldwin turned to her with fear, amusement and wonder in his eyes. "I don't think that anyone else could have spoken to him in such a manner and gotten away with it."

_He needed to hear it,_ Tracker said even before Estara could _He needed a quickening of the blood, to remember the warrior that he is._ Estara turned to Tracker and beamed at him. Tracker locked eyes with her and said, _She has been blessed with the spirit of a dragon, what did you expect her to do?_

Additional supplies arrived as they were saddling the dragons. Food, dried meats and fruits, bread some cooking supplies like a small cast iron post and bowls and two bedrolls. They thanked the servants who brought the supplies and took off heading for Belatona. Leaving, Teirm they headed south east along the Torak River. The wind was gusting furiously against them making it hard for the dragons to fly. They stopped, the dragons exhausted from the excursion of flying against the wind, at Woadark Lake. When they landed, Estara noticed that the entire ground was covered in a thick blanket of fresh snow. The ground twinkled and sparkled in the pale light of the rising sun.

_We must eat,_ Tracker said to them. _We must hunt._

_But you're exhausted, _Estara protested.

"You should stay here and rest," Eldwin said finishing her thought.

_We will recover faster with food in our bellies,_ Gilda said. And without waiting for another argument the two dragons flew off into the sky, curving along the foothills that skirted the lake and were soon out of sight. Estara looked up at the rising sun, although it was climbing higher in the sky, it was not warming the ground, which concerned her. She had a little experience with snow from before becoming a Rider, she looked at the clouds to the east and saw that they were black as pitch another bad sign.

_We should look for shelter,_ she said to Eldwin. _I don't like the look of the clouds heading our way. _

"You may be right," Eldwin said blowing warm air into his hands to fight off the frigid air. They hiked up into the foothills the air growing ever colder and the wind blowing ever harder. It was only an hour before the storm clouds blackened the sky and large snow flurries started falling, the wind pelting them in to their faces. Eldwin ran ahead, he said to scout for shelter, but Estara knew that he was fighting off the cold by running. She thought about running with him, but she would only slow him down.

After another quarter hour, she saw Eldwin running back to her as she slowly trudged through the thigh deep snow.

"I found a cave," Eldwin said his breathing irregular, which she found odd. "It's small, but I don't think Gilda and Tracker will be able to make it back to us in this weather." Estara contacted Tracker and saw from his eyes they were already engulfed in the storm and would not be able to fly. With a deep sigh, Estara followed Eldwin back to the cave. He was right, it was very small, just barely large enough for the two of them to sleep in. Their clothes were soaked through with cold water from the melting snow.

Estara remembered the cloaks she had packed at grabbed them out, tossing the heavier one to Eldwin. He gave her an appreciative look and she went about setting up the camp. She wandered around in small woods outside the cave, snow beating down on her with force, looking for firewood. When she couldn't find any, she felled a tree with magic-which exhausted her further. She may be gifted and can convince trees to turn to gold, but she couldn't convince them to suddenly become firewood and the spell was taxing after a night of no sleep. She dragged the tree back to the cave and started a fire, altering the spell slightly so that the fire wouldn't put off smoke, as there was no escape route for it in the small cave. She glanced at Eldwin, who had already changed his wet clothes for dry ones and had wrapped himself in her winter cloak.

She was about to chastise him for not doing anything to set up camp, when she noticed that his lips were light blue in color and he was shivering uncontrollably.

_Eldwin,_ she said walking over to him. _Are you ok? _She place a cold hand on his forehead and was glad to see that he didn't have a fever, but she was distressed that his face was the same temperature as her freezing hands.

"I'm fine," he said, his words slurred as if he had too much to drink.

_No you're not,_ Estara said dragging him to his feet. She helped him walk to the fire and sat him as close as she could to it. He stumbled a few times on the way. She knew the symptoms of hypothermia when she saw it. She could have used a spell to warm his limbs but in her exhausted state she didn't think that she should. She ran to her saddlebags thanking Tracker that he thought to leave them with her.

She pulled out the second lighter weight cloak, and threw it around Eldwin's shoulders. She grabbed the pot and dried meats that Lady Nia had given them. She walked to the caves edge and looked for a patch of undisturbed snow and scooped it into the pot. When she returned to the fire, Eldwin had his eyes closed as if asleep. She stuck the pot directly in the fire and the snow melted almost instantly. She shredded the dried meats and added some of the dried vegetables that they had brought from Vroengard.

When she finally got the water to a boil she pulled the pot out by wrapping her hand in a strip of cloth and poured the makeshift broth into a bowl. She moved to sit beside Eldwin who was now awake again and the color in his lips was beginning to return.

_Here_, she said gently to him _Drink this._ Eldwin shook his head. _Don't fight me on this._ She offered the bowl out to him again and he remained still. _You are aware that I can force you to drink this, _she said sternly letting the treat hang in the air. He turned and gave her a pained look.

"What do you care?" He asked bitterly, turning away from her.

_Because, _Estara started. She paused thinking about all that had happened in barely a week and a half. _Because you are my friend_, she finished emphasizing the last word. _And you would do the same for me. _Eldwin stared at her for a minute before he took the bowl and began to sip on it. When he was done she refilled his bowl and urged him to drink more.

It was only then that Estara noticed that she was still in her soaking wet clothes. She wasn't sure why she was handling the could so much better that Eldwin. She asked him to look away and he did. She changed her clothes, preserving as much modesty as she could and then undid her hair from it's elaborate braids and dried it by the fire. She wasn't hungry so she refilled Eldwin's bowl the last of the broth, and refilled the pot with more snow, this time adding some mint leaves for tea.

When Eldwin had finished his last bowl of broth, he was looking like his old self again, she refilled it with the tea and went about setting up the bed rolls. When she was done she convinced him to lay down and sleep. He protested saying that he should take the first watch. They argued but the exhaustion was just too much at this point and Estara finally conceded.

She moved over to her bedroll, suddenly exhausted and shivering, and crawled in. Before she knew it she had slipped into a dreamless sleep. She awoke a few hours later to ice cold hands on her face. She heard a voice calling her name, but she couldn't tell who it was. She drifted back off to sleep. She was awakened again to the sensation of her body being lifted and moved, she heard a rich voice begin to sing and it lulled her back to slumber. She was roused again when she felt herself being moved again. The rich voice had stopped singing and had started talking. It stopped again, she was shifted and her head lay on a warm pillow and she drifted off again.

When she awoke the next morning, she was warm and very comfortable. She felt a comforting weight around her waist and assumed it was Tracker. She snuggled down to drift back to sleep, when she suddenly remembered that Tracker was stuck somewhere in the foothills with Gilda. She opened her eyes and focused on the body laying next to her.

Eldwin was stretched out on his back next to her, her head resting on his chest, his arm thrown protectively around her waist. Eldwin's eyes were closed in whatever it was that the elves called sleep. She took a moment to glance around the small cave and saw that her bedroll had been moved next to his and both cloaks had been draped on top of them.

She felt Eldwin begin to stir and she turned her head back to him. His eyes met hers and she couldn't stop the blush that flared up in her cheeks. She sat up turning away from him in an attempt to hide it.

_What happened last night?_ she asked

"After I started to feel better," Eldwin said sitting up. "I noticed that you were completely flush and sweating. I checked and you had a high fever and couldn't stop shivering."

_Makes sense,_ Estara said. _I was so concerned with you I completely forgot to change out of my wet clothes. _Estara thought back to the fragmented images that she remembered from her restless sleep the night before. _You sang?_

"Yes," Eldwin said slightly embarrassed. "I didn't think you'd remember with the fever."

_What was it?_

"A song my mother used to sing," Eldwin admitted. "It a combination of a lullaby and a healing song." He extended his hand out to touch her forehead and then moved it gently to her cheek. "It seems to have worked." Estara smiled in thanks.

_And, the beds?_ she asked slightly embarrassed

"Best way to preserve the heat." he said matter of factly. "I was beginning to loose the feeling in my extremities again, so I moved you," he paused and stared at her, "uh, closer. I hope it was ok." Estara nodded. A silence fell between them as they ate a breakfast of dried fruit and bread. Estara stared out of the cave entrance at the blizzard around them. She could barely see five feet out of the entrance, the rest seemed to just be harsh white wind.

She called out to Tracker to see how he and Gilda were faring.

_Actually better than you,_ Tracker laughed in response. _The storm is already subsiding where we are and we should be back around early evening. _

_Did you eat?_ she asked somewhat concerned that they might not have found anything.

_Yes, _Tracker said with some glee. _A herd of deer were trying to escape the storm yesterday and we were able to get our fill before the storm hit. _

_Good, _Estara said sending him a smile. _We'll see you soon. _

It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that the storm subsided enough that the dragons were able to land near the cave. Estara and Eldwin planned to fly straight to Belatona, without stopping if they could. The dragons agreed that this was the best way to make up for lost time. When Tracker and Gilda finally landed in front of the cave, Gilda started rumbling in laughter.

"What's so funny?" Eldwin asked with a hint of irritation.

_She warned you about the snow, little one. _Gilda said projecting so that everyone could hear. _When are you going to remember that she is a seer and that you should listen a little more closely. _Eldwin blushed in embarrassment and they all had a good laugh at his expense. Eldwin had insisted that Estara take the heavier cloak, that he would be fine once they were in the air, but she still worried about him.

They flew through the day, that night and half of the next day, before they finally saw Belatona in the distance. Despite their rest during the blizzard, this stage of the journey had exhausted all of them. Eldwin blew the horn to signal their approach. As they drew closer, they could see that the city was mostly decimated. Small fires still burned around the city. The city was still flurrying with activity, trying to put out fires, tend the wounded, and stop the looting that was almost inevitable after a catastrophe of this magnitude.

They landed just outside the city and walked in the dragons following on foot. They were not greeted as they were in Teirm, but that didn't seem to matter. They split up and covered the city as best they could, healing and putting out fires.

Estara was hunched over a young man, who had been severely injured during the fighting. She was casting a particularly difficult spell when someone bumped her. She continued the spell and turned to see who it was, only to see a young boy running from her. She instinctively placed her hand on her back and grew angry, when she noticed that Seitherblads was gone.

She finished the spell as quickly as she could, and without the burden of speaking, it was almost instantaneous. She then tore off down the streets after the young boy. He was easy to follow as he left a trail of knocked over items and people in his wake. Just as she caught sight of him, he ducked down an alley. She was alerted by a magician that the young man was fine.

She stopped just before the alley and peaked in, the sight before her filled her with rage. A greasy old man stood before the little boy holding Seitherblads. He lay on the ground, a large red welt beginning to form on his cheek.

"It took you long enough Colin." the old man sneered. "Let me see what you brought me." The man bent over a grabbed Seitherblads from the boy, who flinched and cowered as he drew close. "Ah," the old man said staring at her weapon with an appraising eye. "This is quite lovely. Elf made if I had to guess. This will fetch a pretty penny." He bent down so that he was face to face with the little boy, the boy flinched again as the man moved his hand to pat the him on the head. "Good job."

"Thank you Finan, Sir," Colin croaked. Finan turned his back on the boy and grabbed a piece of moldy bread and tossed it at the boy, who grabbed it out of the air and began to eat it. It was then that Estara's attention was drawn to the large crowd of children huddled in the back of the alley. They all wore rags and clutched their own pieces of moldy bread. Most had bruises or cuts on their face and all had a saddened haunted look in their eyes.

Estara had heard about this before. Men gathering up orphans and forcing them to steal. If the children got caught, it was no bother, simply replace them with another.

_Be careful Estara, _Tracker said and she could feel him link his vision to hers so that he could see what was going on. Her vision became distorted for a minute and then became sharper and clearer. She strode into the alley, drawing the attention of Finan.

"Ah," the old man croaked in greeting. "A customer. We have many wonderful things for low prices, I'm sure you'll find what you are looking for."

_That's my sword._ Estara growled in his mind. If this shocked him, he didn't let it show.

"Oh, is it now," Firan said pleasantly enough while shooting Colin a glare. "This young boy found it on the ground. I'd be happy to return it to you for a finder's fee."

As quick as a flash Estara closed the gap between them, freeing Seitherblads from his grip. The man was quick enough to draw a dagger from inside his coat, but not near enough to make contact as Estara flipped away drawing her weapon from it's sheath.

Finan stared at her with hatred, and sent the dagger flying at her, she caught the dagger with the edge of her knife and sent it flying out of the alley where she heard it clatter to the ground. Finan bellowed in rage and leapt for her. She sidestepped his attack and grabbed his arm as he flew by. Using his own momentum as a catalyst she spun him around in a circle disorienting him and then slammed him into a wall, pulling his fist between his shoulder blades forcing him to submit though pain.

The man cried out for soldiers and they appeared. "This woman attacked me, she's crazy. She's going to kill me." The soldiers didn't move, not one muscle to help the old man that Estara held at her mercy.

_Do you know why they don't help?_ she asked her and Tracker's voices melding into one ferocious hum. _They don't help, because they know who I am. Have you figured it out yet, Finan?_

"She's a rouge magician!" Finan cried his voice showing his panic. "She's going to kill me!"

_Wrong, _She and Tracker snarled as one. _We are Estara and Tacker, Shur'tagal and Bjartskula, your worst nightmare. _ Estara pulled a little harder on his wrist and was rewarded with a loud cracking noise.

"Someone get her off of me," Finan screamed out in pain. "She just broke my wrist." The soldiers just laughed.

"If you insist," one of them said and he walked forward. Estara noticed that he was wearing a captains badge. The Captain grabbed Finan roughly and two others rushed forward and clapped him in irons.

"Not me," Finan screamed "Her, arrest her, she attacked me."

"No," the Captain. "We've been after you for years Finan." Finan turned in shock at the sound of his name. "We know exactly who you are. She did us quite the favor by catching you." Finan struggled at screamed curses at Estara as two soldiers dragged him away. The Captain approached Estara and bowed, "Thank you Argtlam."

_What will happen to the children? _Estara asked. Tracker had retracted from her vision and her voice, making her far less threatening sounding.

"Unfortunately, they will all return to the orphanage." The Captain said looking around at all the children in the alley with a pained look. "It's the only place we have for them." Estara followed the children as they were lead to the orphanage. The woman running it was old, and harried. But Estara saw in her mind that she desperately wanted to help the children in her care.

Estara sat and watched as the woman bandaged cuts and attended bruises of all the children who had just come in. She cast her mind about for Eldwin, and Gilda and told them what she wanted to do. They agreed and Estara walked to the woman who had just put a poultice on Colin's cheek.

"You were the one who saved them Argetlam?" the old woman asked. Estara nodded and slipped off the purse that hung on her belt. All Riders sent to the mainland were sent with an allowance to buy provisions. It was almost never needed and often the money went unused. She handed the money to the woman, who stared at Estara with something akin to confusion, until she opened the bag and saw the glint of gold.

"No," the woman cried handing the purse back to Estara. "I can't take that, it's too much." Estara shook her head and refused to take the money. The woman looked back at Estara with tears glittering in her eyes. "Thank you Argetlam," she whispered and she stood and wrapped Estara in a great hug.

When Estara finally left the orphanage, Eldwin touched her mind and told her that Lord Eddison wanted to see them. Tracker landed on the street just in front of the orphanage, earning squeals of delight from all the children who ran outside to watch her take off. With a great thump of his wings Tracker alighted and angled for the Lords manner house at the edge of town.

Authors note: Another chapter down, who knows how many more to go. The romance angle between Eldwin and Estara is taking on much more of the story than I had originally intended, but I'm really enjoying that Estara is so torn/dumb about it. Fair warning, I usually like updating everyday, when I can. But right now I have a bunch of friends at my house and most likely have the change to update for a few days. We're going to be doing 'mountain person stuff' as one of them puts it. Heading to the shooting range, playing with weapons, and guns and bow-oh my! Please Review, writers on this site love getting feedback for their work, and I'm no different.

Lots of Love,

ChaCha


	9. Chapter 9

Lord Eddison was much younger than Estara thought he'd be. He appeared to be barely in his twenties, with long brown hair and dark eyes that always seemed to be calculating. He had taken over his father's position as lord, when he had died from blood poisoning when Lord Eddison was only 15. His father had been a much more lenient man, and crime had been on the rise in Belatona for some time.

Lord Eddison put a stop to that almost over night. He was fair, always giving a trial and allowing the accused to present a defense, but his punishments were harsh and Eddison ran his town with military precision. His subjects adored him. They were no longer being shaken down by gangs, or beaten to near death by thieves in the streets.

As succinctly as he could Lord Eddison filled them in on the attack. Strategies that the Shade seemed to use. Military formations, tactics, strategies-it all made Estara feel like she was back on Vroengard in training. He gave an entire replay of the battle in, in Estara's estimation, the most boring fashion that he could have.

"But then," Eddison said seeming confused. "He just stopped. He appeared to argue with himself, as if speaking to another person, and then simply left." He paused, staring at his maps spread out on the table. "Another quarter of an hour, and he would have completely overwhelmed what little defenses we had left and then he would have had us all."

"But instead he just left," Eldwin said finishing Lord Eddison's thought.

"Yes," Lord Eddison confirmed. "His actions made no sense." Estara had a theory on the Shade but she decided to keep it to herself. It was just too wild of an idea. Tracker seemed to have other ideas.

_Perhaps, _Tracker said, _his human mind is fighting the spirits._ Eldwin and Lord Eddison gave the silver dragon a confused look.

_Lord Eddison,_ Estara said, _You know how Shades are made?_ The young lord contemplated for a moment, as if trying to access the memories of what he knew about Shades.

"A Shade is created when a sorcerer summons spirits that he or she can not control," he said

"Lesser known," Eldwin chimed in "Is that a human may simply submit to the control of the spirits for great power."

_Right,_ Estara said. _What Tracker and I were thinking, in regards to the odd behavior of the Shade, is perhaps the human mind of the host, is fighting against the control of the spirits. Creating two minds inhabiting the same body._ When she finished, Lord Eddison stared at her with confusion.

"Is that even possible?" he asked. Before Estara could answer Eldwin jumped in.

"No," Eldwin said. "There is absolutely no precedent for this."

_Just because there is no precedent,_ Estara said staring at Eldwin with venom in her eyes. _Does not mean that it's impossible._

"That's ridiculous," Eldwin laughed trying to lighten the suddenly heavy mood. "What you are suggesting has no basis in science or lore. It's like saying that a dog could speak if it simply put it's mind to it." Tracker growled and Estara had to fight to keep her calm. She felt like an idiot to think that anything had changed between her an Eldwin, he was still the same pretentious, boorish person that she had met twenty years ago.

"Ridiculous as it is," Lord Eddison said jumping to her defense, "It is the only theory we have as to the Shade's behavior and it seems to fit." Estara gave the young lord a grateful look. "As it is, the last intelligence that we had showed the Shade heading toward Melian. We've sent them a warning and they have begun evacuating into the mining tunnels in the hills just south of the city."

_Well, that's some good news, _Estara said her anger creeping into her voice. _If we can get to the village before the Shade perhaps we can find a way of crippling him._ She knew there was no chance of destroying him herself, her vision had been clear to that point, but what she really wanted now, was a fight. She was so angry at Eldwin that she was willing to step in to a fight that she knew was pointless.

She could feel Eldwin's eyes on her but she ignored him, "We should rest tonight, and then leave as early as we can." Eldwin said.

"Of course," Lord Eddison said with a smile. "There have been tents set up behind the manor for your use." The Riders bowed and then walked out. Estara couldn't wait to leave Eldwin's presence. When they were outside she felt a hand on her arm, and spun to see Eldwin's eyes staring at her with confusion.

"What is wrong with you?" he whispered clearly not bothering to mask his anger. "You're acting as if I did something wrong."

_Well, what can I say, _Estara sneered _I'm just ridiculous. _Before Eldwin could respond they heard the horns, signaling that more Riders were approaching. Estara turned her attention to the sky, grateful for the distraction. In the distance she could see a black dragon and she knew that it was Broga. She was grateful that her friend had been sent as reinforcements. The dragon, black as pitch, landed barely ten yards away and the Urgal dame leapt of the back of her dragon.

Broga roared, the noise rivaling that of a dragon, a bared her throat in greeting. "How has been your journey so far, friend?" She said clasping Estara's arm, her teeth bared in a grin.

_Trying, my friend. _Estara said clasping Broga's arm in return. _But better now that you are here._

The Urgal laughed in her rough voice, "I can imagine." She turned to Eldwin and clasped his arm as well. Eldwin returned the gesture but remained aloof. He excused himself, saying that he needed to contact Vroengard and left.

The rest of the day was the best that she'd had since before her father died. She a Broga roamed the city streets, helping where they could but mostly shared stories and laughed. She confided in Broga as to Eldwin's bizarre behavior. Broga just hummed in response.

_You have nothing to say on his odd behavior since we left?_ Estara asked. Broga was always opinionated. She had something to say about everything. Urgal dames were knowing for being more outspoken than their ram counterparts, so for her to remain silent was strange.

"I have a few ideas," Broga said, sounding more like a bark. "No of which you will like." Estara glared playfully at her friend but allowed the subject to drop. Urgals were known to be stubborn, only surpassed by dragons. Estara had spent enough time around Urgals to know, that if they not forthcoming with information, than it was unlikely that anything you could say or do to get it from them.

At sunset they returned to their camp. Another tent had been erected for Broga, and they dined together before turning in early. The dragons had chosen to stay at the camp and rest, so when Estara returned to her tent, Tracker poked his head in and stared at her with his great reflective eyes.

_I'm ridiculous, _Estara said with a mixture of anger and sadness.

_He didn't mean it like that,_ Tracker said. _He just doesn't understand. He doesn't know what you can do with magic, he was not there when you explained it to Eragon and Arya. You can't be mad for him simply being ignorant. _

_Watch me, _she said and rolled over on her cot. Estara knew that there was truth in his words, but she was not ready to accept it. They were supposed to be partners in this journey, not ridicule each other in front of the nobility. She felt betrayed, and above all foolish. She was so sure that his attitude had changed, that when confronted by the harsh reality, she felt a pit in her chest that she couldn't name.

She heard the tent flap be pulled back. She closed her mind, except for a small connection to Tracker. _Tell him I'm asleep, _she said to her dragon. She heard Tracker sigh and silence overcame the small tent. She heard nothing, but she could sense Tracker and Eldwin talking and could feel his eyes boring in to the back of her head. She didn't move, and kept her breathing shallow and slow. After a few minutes she heard the tent flap close and she knew Eldwin had left.

_He says,_ Tracker said relaying the information to her. _That Eragon does not support the idea of confronting the Shade. It may only serve to end your lives before the mission is complete. If you can glean any information, than go ahead, but do not confront him directly. You will leave tomorrow at dawn, Broga is to remain here to aide the city in reconstruction._ Estara was disappointed that she would have to leave her friend behind, but understood that it was best to leave the city with extra defense.

Tracker bid her good night and withdrew, leaving Estara with only her own tumultuous thoughts for company.

The next morning they departed while it was still dark outside. She hadn't spoken to Eldwin since their confrontation after meeting with Lord Eddison. She kept her silence, choosing not to join in the conversation with Tracker, Gilda and Eldwin, not believing that she could keep control of her temper.

The ride to Melian was not nearly as long as their flight from the cave to Belatona. As they approached the city, they could see the Shades army far below on the ground. She cautiously cast her mind about to try and locate the Shade, but she felt nothing, as if he wasn't even there.

She tried searching the minds of the undead, who were slowly making there way to the city, but to her shock, they were empty. Nothing was in the minds of the undead, not hunger, not rage, it was as if they were hollow.

_Puppets,_ Tracker commented. _It's like they're puppets and we just can't see the strings. _

They flew ahead of the army and made it to Melian about a hour before they guessed the army would arrive. The met, Caron, the elf rider who was overseeing the evacuation, and his green dragon Styx. He explained to them that the tunnels would form a sort of escape route, through the hills to the other side, where they could seek refuge in Cithri. Caron would attempt to lead the army in the other direction, towards the Hadarac Desert. Estara thought it was a good plan all in all, but right now they were very far behind in the evacuation.

Estara and Eldwin split up and herded the townspeople into the tunnels. Three quarters of an hour had passed before they started hearing the screaming. It was a horrifying sound, like wild animals attacking a horse. Estara shivered, and reached into her mind trying to access a vision, but there was nothing but darkness. Caron alighted in front of her and called,

"The undead are howling, like dogs on a scent."

_We're nearly done here,_ Estara replied. _But I haven't seen the headman of the town. _

Caron cursed and glanced back to Styx, "He's been stubborn, he said he wouldn't leave the town until every resident had been relocated safely to the tunnels." Estara took a deep breath trying to calm herself, but the screaming intensified and got louder setting her nerves off again.

_I'll find him and convince him to leave, _She said _You see if you can buy me some time. _Caron gave her a curt nod and soared off. She cast about for Tracker and let him know to meet her at the Headman's home. She ran to the west end of town, and found a tall burly man, standing in his yard, screaming at the approaching army.

"Blasted bunch of corpses," he said as Estara approached. "Yellow bellied cowards" he screamed into the wind.

_You words will do no good sir, _she said gently as if trying to calm a child.

"What are you here for Rider?" the Headman turned to look at her. "Is the evacuation complete?"

_Nearly, _she said earning a glare from the Headman.

"I already told that blasted Caron," the Headman said, "I will not run while my people are at the mercy of those abominations."

_I understand that sir,_ Estara said with a sad smile_ But if you do not leave now, then who will be there to calm the people who have escaped. Who will be there to lead them to safety? If you die, how will that serve your friends and family, other than as a cautionary tale?_ The Headman bristled at her words, but then hung his head in defeat.

"You are too right Rider," he said with a grim smile on his face. It was then that the screaming stopped. Estara pulled Seitherblads from it sheath and peer around her suspiciously. The town had become ghostly quiet. She strained her ears and heard a dragon roar in the distance. Panicked she cast her mind out for Tracker. He told her that he was fine but the attack was beginning.

_We have to go now, _she said to the Headman. _Follow me a quietly as you can._ Estara had always been light on her feet, and even now, walked without a sound. But the Headman, he was used to lumbering about in the mines all day, and his every step seemed to echo on the silent streets. They crept along the city, which was thankfully empty, on the look out for the army. A flash of movement caught her eye, and she spun her head, but saw nothing.

When they were little more than a hundred yards from the entrance to the tunnels, the Headman screamed. Estara spun to see him not ten feet from her, in the clutches of one of the undead. She leapt back knives gleaming in the light and slit the throat of the undead. It was only as she drew close that the putrid smell of rotting flesh overwhelmed her, made her dizzy. She choked back bile, and grabbed the arm of the Headman.

_Run,_ she cried in his head. She turned to face the undead army, knives comfortably in her hands. The undead man that she had struck, began to lumber back toward her again, reaching out clawed hands. She took a great swing and loped off his head, and finally the body ceased moving. She turned to look down the street, and nearly wept, fifty of the undead were lumbering slowly in her direction.

She glanced back at the Headman, he had reached the tunnels, and they were beginning to close off the entrance with a great steel door. But it moved slower than the undead. She braced herself, _Well,_ she thought _at least I get that fight I wanted._

She dove into the on coming hoard, slicing, kicking, punching, anything to keep the undead back, anything so that the villagers could close that door, and be safe. She tried not to look at the faces of those that she was fighting, she was terrified that she would see someone she knew. One of them landed a blow that knocked her to the ground. Three of the undead jumped on top of her, trying to claw at her, rip her to pieces. She wished she could scream.

She heard Tracker's unmistakable roar in the distance and she sensed him take off. She thought of her spell, and blasted the three undead backwards. She leapt to her feet and continued her assault. She cut off the head of three more undead before Tracker finally arrived. He entered the fray, crushing two bodies with his mighty legs, and reducing twelve to ashes with a spurt of sliver fire.

And Tracker bellowed. She looked at him, but he seemed unharmed. She suddenly felt a slimy presence touch her mind and she recoiled. She looked around, the ground was littered in the bodies of at least thirty of the undead lay scattered about several more piled of ashes. But the remaining undead soldiers were retreating.

Estara looked around and a tall horrific figure stood a hundred yards down the street, watching every movement she made with great interest.

"So," the Shade drawled, his voice sending shivers of horror to run down her spine. "This is the dragon-child, come to ruin my fun." He began walking towards her with deliberate, heavy steps. "I pictured you," his eyes roamed over her body appraising "bigger."

Estara desperately wanted to say something, she even had a couple of witty comebacks, but she dare not open her mind to the Shade. He was powerful, and she wasn't sure even with her prowess that she could fight him off for long.

"So quiet, little girl," the Shade hissed, drawing ever closer. The Shade suddenly stopped moving, and shook his head angrily. "Not now," he growled to himself. Estara narrowed her eyes, watching the odd actions, had this been what Eddison was talking about?

"Not now you little brat," the Shade screamed. Estara watched entranced, forgetting all about the army hovering behind the Shade "But you can't hurt her," the Shade's voice changed, was warmer, softer, familiar somehow. "But she is one of them," the voice hissed. The Shade stopped moving, he was suddenly still. There was a sudden movement, and the Shade called out to her,

"Run, Estara, I can't hold him back much longer." The voice was the warm one, the familiar one. Estara was frozen to the spot with recognition. _No,_ she thought, _Please it can't be him._

"Run," the Shade called out again. "Sister, Run!" In the blink of an eye she felt a sharp pain in her belly, she looked down and saw a knife, buried to the hilt in her stomach. She looked up with pain in her eyes, not from her wound, but from a sense of betrayal. She heard Eldwin call her name, but she couldn't take her eyes off of her brother. His final words echoed in her mind as her vision went black, _I will become more powerful than you, I will become a thing even the Riders fear. Mark my words, 'sister'._

Authors Note: I'm not satisfied at all with this chapter. I plan to go back and re-write it sometime in the future. I know lots of you saw Gavnar, being the Shade coming from early on. But it's so hard to veil something like that, and not have it come out of nowhere. Hope you all enjoyed! Review please! I hope you got a good laugh at the Rider and dragon's name in this chapter. I'm re-reading the Percy Jackson series and just thought it would be fun to name a Rider after the ferryman and the river in the underworld. How many of you caught that?


	10. Chapter 10

When Estara finally awoke, Tracker was hovering over her, his head placed gently on her chest. She sat up, and realized that her wound had been healed. She looked around the camp site, and saw that Eldwin was nowhere to be found. Gilda lay on the other side of her, facing away from her, apparently on guard.

_Are you alright, little one, _Tracker asked.

_No, _Estara replied simply. She wasn't alright, she was far from alright. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head upon them. She wished that tears would come, but they wouldn't. She knew all along, at least part of her knew, that the Shade was Gavnar. She ran her fingers through her hair, and heard footsteps approaching.

Every muscle in her body tightened in anticipation. When she saw Eldwin enter the campsite she let out a shaky breath. Eldwin stopped when he saw her sitting up.

"Oh," he said with thinly veiled anger in his voice. "You're awake." Estara nodded. "We need to talk." Estara shook her head. "No," Eldwin said firmly. Estara finally turned her eyes to meet his, "We need to talk about the last few days, we need to talk about you blatantly ignoring orders not to encounter the Shade, you could have gotten yourself killed Estara!" By the end of his speech he was yelling. She cocked her head to the side, she had never seen an elf loose complete control of his temper before, they were always so guarded, so reserved.

_Leave her alone,_ Tracker growled. _You don't understand what she's been through. You were not there. _Eldwin huffed and stormed off, back to wherever he had come from. His tantrum would have amused Estara had her mood not been so dark. She thought over the events in Melian, hoping that all of the villagers had made it into the tunnels before the door was closed. She hoped that Caron was leading the army to the desert as planned. She realized then that she had no idea where they were.

_We're about three hours flight from the dwarf city, Dalgon._ Gilda said gently. There was a pause, and then Gilda said, _My mate has told me what happened. I am sorry that you're nest-mate has become…_ She trailed off not wanting to finish her sentence. _I have not told my partner-of heart what occurred…yet. I think it should come from you, little one, once you are ready to talk. _Estara nodded her head.

That was something that she was not looking forward to discussing. Knowing that her brother was the Shade was one thing, but having to say it was something different. Her heart ached for Gavnar. She sat, wondering what had happened to her brother, when he left that clearing twenty years ago. Why had he chosen this path? Why was he fighting the spirits for control? Did he truly want the destruction of the whole world, simply because his childhood dream of being a Rider, hadn't come true? Too many unanswerable questions circled in her head. She hardly even noticed when Eldwin returned to their camp.

He prepared a vegetable stew for dinner, but Estara refused to eat, she didn't think her stomach could handle the food. After eating, Eldwin settled down on the far side of the fire, and began carving a branch from a tree. Estara watched him with fascination, as he whittled the branch into shape, began to carve out wings from other branches and fitted them to the whole piece. It was then that she noticed that it was a bird, a finch maybe. It was skillfully done, it looked real, as if it would come to life in his hand and take flight.

He muttered an incantation and the wooden bird actually came to life, leaping into the air and soaring about the fire for a moment, before landing in front of Estara. It sang a song, than reminded her of the one that Eldwin had sang in her feverish state, and for the first time since before Melian, she allowed a smile to cross her face.

"You look so much less fierce when you smile," Eldwin said with a laugh. "It actually makes you seem, human." Estara scowled at him, remembering that she was supposed to be mad at him. "Come on now," he said "I didn't mean it as a slight. I just meant, that, well," he stumbled trying to think of another way to say it. "That you are always so focused, so driven, so much like a dragon in many ways, that when you smile, it reminds me that you are, in fact, accessible." Estara stared at him, surprised by the amount of thought that Eldwin had put into this.

_Is that why you hate me?_ She said finally.

"Oro-koni," he swore, and Estara noticed the elf slang for 'foolish little girl'. "I don't think anyone could actually hate you."

_My brother does, _Estara said grimly. She looked at Eldwin and he seemed confused.

"I didn't know you had a brother," he said sadly.

_Yes,_ Estara sighed. _He's seven years older than I am, and when Tracker hatched for me…_she trailed off not knowing where to go from here. She took a deep breath and went on to explain how close they had been, how his greatest wish was to become a Rider, and when Tracker hatched, how he saw it as her stealing his opportunity to become one, and at last about their fight in the clearing, about his angry final words too her. When she finished, Eldwin was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, "It had to have been hard to see someone so close to you become so angry."

_Not as hard,_ Estara said with a hint of grim humor, _As finding out that Gavnar is the Shade. _She watched as Eldwin's shoulder's sunk. She looked down and closed her eyes still waiting for the tears to come. A moment later, she felt arms encircle her and she was pulled in to Eldwin's embrace. She was shocked for a moment, and then overcome at the kindness of this gesture. Finally she started to cry.

After what felt like hours, she finally extricated herself from Eldwin's embrace. _I'm sorry _she said. Eldwin shrugged, earning another smile from her. She felt an odd pull in her chest, and chose to ignore it. _Should we stay here and rest?_

"No," Eldwin said "We've been here long enough, and still have a long way to go, before we reach Ellesmera." Estara nodded. "Since it'd be foolish to fly straight across the desert, I think we should follow the river to Tarnag. And then head north from there." Everyone seemed to agree to this plan, so they broke camp and took off flying west, following the river.

By early the next morning, they were nearing Tarnag. Tracker and Gilda were positively buzzing with excitement at the idea of hunting the wild feldunost that lived on the cliffs outside the city. Eldwin blew the horn, and they began to descend into the town square. Estara had never been here before, but Eldwin said it looked different than the last time he had been here. Upon landing, they began to understand why.

They recognized the banner of the King. They leapt off the dragons as soon as they touched down, and saw a the large crowd, parting before a white haired dwarf, who was walking through the crowd towards them. When the King broke through the crowd, Estara and Eldwin bowed deeply to him. He simply laughed.

"Riders!" King Orik, bellowed. "You have come at a wonderful time to mine kingdom." He went on the explain that this was an annual tradition in the dwarf kingdom. Tarnag was the city that produced most of the kingdoms food and had done so to great peril after the fall of the Dragon Riders. They tended fields and herds above ground making them a prime target for Galbatorix's wrath.

The king and all the clan chieftains, would make a trip to Tarnag in the spring, to attend the blessings of the fields, and pray to Guntera for a fruitful harvest. King Orik invited them to attend the festivities and they accepted. It was a joyous affair, and the priests of Durgrimst Quan presided over the festivities. Estara quieted her mind of the days events and listened to the chanting prayers of the priests.

She had never properly learned to speak the dwarves language, but she recognized a few words here and there, but what surprised her the most was the way the priests interwove the ancient language into the prayers. She felt a stirring of power that resonated across the fields, something huge that she had never felt before. An ancient presence, that she thought might be the spirit of the dwarves god making his presence known. It was a stern but benevolent presence, and although it didn't calm Estara the way it seemed to the dwarves, she knew that it meant no harm.

After the blessings was the traditional feast. Fresh meat and winter crops, like kale and squash, were prepared in so many different ways, that Estara had a hard time keeping track of the various dishes. This feast was a much more casual affair than the one they had attended in Teirm, and Estara liked it better. There were none of the rigors of high society to follow here, none of the endless lines of nobles clamoring to meet the riders. It was simply a gathering, a meal with friends.

After the conclusion of the meal, a messenger had been sent to Estara and Eldwin, King Orik had asked for a private audience. Tracker and Gilda were included, but the messenger cautioned that this city had not been build to accommodate other races let alone dragons, and it may be easier for the dragons to sit outside the Kings window. Estara felt Tracker's irritation, and it was not unfounded. The dwarves had had centuries to build and compensate for the dragons.

That wasn't to say they had made no alterations. Their quarters were large enough for dragon and Rider to rest comfortable. Beogar had told her that every time changes were proposed to make the dwarves cities more accessible to Riders the dwarf clans fought furiously. Some felt that their cities should be preserved as they were, it was their heritage, that only new buildings should be altered to compensate. In the end these voices won out.

Eldwin and Estara arrived at the Kings quarters and a guard announced their presence. They were ushered in and found the king sitting before a fire. He gestured that they should sit, and then dismissed his guards. When finally they left, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"The heightened security is irritating." Orik said as they sat down across from them. "This business with the Shade, and rumors of unrest in one of the clans has put my security head on high alert."

"Trouble in the clans?" Eldwin asked.

"Yes," Orik said with a sigh. "Some of the loyalist in Az Sweldn rak Anhuin have been stirring up trouble."

"I thought that the clan had renounced the blood-oath." Eldwin said.

"That's true," Orik said weariness creeping into his voice. "But there are some who still remain separatists. Mostly the descendants of the banished chief." Estara remembered that an attempt on Eragon's life had caused the banishing of an entire clan. Apparently not all had returned to the fold.

_Shall we speak to them, your majesty? _Estara asked. Orik responded with a sigh.

"I know you mean well, child," he said. "But the separatists still have a deep hatred and distrust of the Riders. I don't know if it would do any good."

"We could try though," Eldwin said.

"That would be a great kindness," Orik smiled. "If you are determined, I can have one of the guards show you to where they live."

Estara felt the pain in her temples again. She excused herself, leaving Eldwin to say their farewells to the dwarf king. She barely made it back to her room, when the vision overtook her.

Estara saw nothing but darkness once again, she looked around for the orange indicating the flames she had seen in her last two visions, but saw nothing. She heard the screams of the undead army all around her, and she shivered in fear. She listened and heard the shuffling gate of the dead moving ever closer to her, but still could see nothing in the impenetrable darkness.

Finally a glimmer of movement caught her eye, and saw the rotting body of a dwarf, lumbering slowly towards her. She called out for Tracker instinctively, but she couldn't find him. She heard Eldwin call her name, and then he screamed, and she heard no more. She ran about shoving the undead dwarves away from her when they got too close.

She approached the end of the hoard, to find what appeared to be a courtyard lit with fllickering torches. Gavnar stood over Eldwin, a wicked sword covered in blood. She saw herself crying, Eldwin's head in her lap. Eldwin was ashen, on his chest a gaping wound, oozing blood faster than it should. Her reached up and touched her cheek gently and then his body went limp. Estara screamed watching herself cry over the body, unable to do anything, she turned to the Shade.

He was grinning at her, blood coating his teeth. "This is the future, dragon-child, no matter what you do, I will prevail. At least in this matter," he said pointing at the dead body of Eldwin. "You cannot save him." Gavnar raised his hand, and shouted a word that Estara couldn't understand, and she was shot back by an unseen force and the vision went dark.

She awoke on the cold stone floor, Eldwin hovering over her, checking her pulse and her breathing. She touched his arm gently, and he jumped, as if not expecting it. She gave him a weak smile and sat up, her head still swimming.

"You were crying this time," he said. "What happened?" She shivered, and debated telling him. With a gentle nudge from Tracker she sighed and finally spoke.

_You died, trying to save me._ Estara watched his face for his reaction. His face immediately went pale, his eyes held a mixture of fear and acknowledgement. _We can change this, _Estara grabbed his arm_ Just like we're changing everything else. _Eldwin just shook his head, and changed the subject.

"Can you handle the meeting with the separatists yourself? I have some things to think about." The defeat in his voice made Estara want to cry, but she nodded her head and left the room.

It was nearing midnight when she found the house where the leader of the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin separatists lived. He was a descendant of the clan chief who ordered the attempt on Eragon's life. When he opened the door and saw her standing there, he slammed the door back in her face. Estara scowled and reached out with her mind,

_I can burn your house to ashes and no one would raise a finger to assist you, Odgar._

"Is that a threat?" Odgar the dwarf growled, opening the door glowering at her. Estara recognized the dwarf from her vision, he was the one she saw an a member of Gavnar's undead army.

_No,_ Estara shrugged, _Simply an observation. I know the terms of banishment, and no one would lift a finger to aide you, not even your own clan. _The dwarf let out a growl, and turned away from her leaving the door open behind him.

Estara walked in, taking in her surroundings. This shack, was build not too far from the city, with wood cut by an inexperienced hand. She could see cracks in the ceiling and walls that would make it a horrible place to be in a storm. All of the furniture was similarly made, and repaired, and threadbare rugs covered the floor.

Odgar sat a roughly made table and gestured that she should sit as well. She did and watched as the dwarf placed a goblet of mead in front of her. She scowled at him and poured it out on the floor. Odgar was not skilled at shielding his mind and she knew there were three different types of poison in the drink. He shrugged,

"Can't blame me for trying."

_Actually I can._ Estara bristled. _Isn't that why your clan was banished, for attacking a guest?_ The dwarf growled at her again. _I'm not here to discuss that, I'm here to discuss the trouble in the land._ Odgar starred at her, as she expected confused.

"What troubles?" he said curtly. Estara had thought it unlikely that Odgar knew of the Shade, and the undead army roving the country side. She told him, leaving out her vision of him as a member of the army. "What does this have to do with me and my people, the true members of Az Sweldn rak Anhuin?"

Estara reached out and touched his mind, she sensed his hatred, is anger at his people being left to starve after the war. The sense of betrayal that he felt at the majority of his clan, renouncing those who remained, in his mind, loyal. She also sensed that he grew weary of scheming and wished that someone would call an end to this stubbornness and stupidity. She understood him a little better after this, and adjusted her tactics.

_I know that you are hurt, _she said. _I know how you feel, but we are at war, for the first time in two hundred years. Az Sweldn rak Anhuin deserves it's place in the history of Alagaesia as the warring clan who came to the rescue of the people. The clan that took the higher road and put aside it's differences, reunited with the dwarves and lead the charge into battle against an enemy that most believe can not be destroyed. How would the rest of the dwarves see you? How would the rest of your clan see you if you were to be the one who reunited Az Sweldn rak Anhuin and restored the clan to glory? Would that not be a victory?_

She felt Ogdar's mind go into overdrive. His thoughts not in a language she could understand. He looked at her, with wonder in his eyes. "Do you truly think that we could restore the clan Rider?" Estara nodded. Ogdar stroked his beard with a gleam in his eyes. "It was always my dream to untie mine clan. But generations of hatred and anger with the Riders has stopped that. You are the only Rider I have ever met with who seemed to care about mine clan. I will do as you ask, I will argue for peace."

Estara bowed to Odgar, she searched his mind for any sign of deceit or treachery and found none. At first she panicked, thinking perhaps she cast a spell without meaning to, but on closer examination, she saw that she hadn't. She had been able to strike a cord in the dwarves mind, one that he himself had been thinking about for a while. The dwarf had agreed to peace fully on his own. She bid Odgar good night, and told him not to hesitate to call upon her should he ever need aide. He surprised her by bowing in return, and said

"You have done a great service to mine clan tonight. I do not know how we will repay you."

_I need no repayment, Odgar._ She smiled. Bowing once more, she turned to leave. When she returned to her quarters, she sent a messenger to Orik, that the Az Sweldn rak Anhuin problem had been dealt with, and he should expect a visitor in the morning. The messenger left grumbling about his refusal to utter the clans name. Estara laughed, and instead of returning to her room, she made her way to Eldwin's.

She knocked on the door, and heard Eldwin call for her to come in. She walked in and saw him sitting by a window, gazing up at the sky, lost in thought. It was a few minutes before he turned to see her standing in his room, and he didn't seem surprised, his face wrought with worry. She walked and sat next to him on the small outcropping of the window. He was silent for a few minute before he finally spoke.

"Just before I left Ellesmera, to begin training to be a Rider," his words sounded as if they pained him. "Elva and the werecat Maude, approached me." This was news to Estara, she had know that after the wars Elva had traveled with the herbalist Angela for sometime, but after that there was no record of her. It was widely assumed that she had died in the two hundred years since the war, but she clearly hadn't.

"Elva looked me in the eye and said "Beware of the girl with silver hair, elf, you'll give your life to save her one day." Eldwin paused. Estara's eyes brimmed with tears. She shook her head, and Eldwin just smiled. "Two of those blessed by a dragon have told me that I will die protecting you, I have," he paused heaving a great sigh "Come to terms with it."

_You can't just come to terms with it,_ Estara cried. _We can stop this, we can, just like we're working to stop everything else._ Eldwin smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes. _Eldwin,_ she whispered his name taking his head in her hands looking him directly in the eyes. _You are not going to die, I won't let it happen. He surprised her by laughing and taking her hands in his own._

"As you wish, dragon-child," he said teasingly, and he bid her goodnight. She wished she could say something, to change his mind the way she had Odgar's, but she could think of nothing else to say. She simply wished him good night and left the room.

Authors Note: Another Chapter down! A lot happened here, a few more pieces of Eldwin's puzzle have come into place. Hope you all enjoyed it.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning she was roused by a messenger from the king. Orik wished to speak with her again. She washed and dressed, Tracker taking up his spot outside the window. When she entered she was surprised to see Eldwin already there, dark circles from lack of sleep below his eyes. Orik was sitting with Odgar beside him, laughing as if they were old friends.

Apparently, so roused by her words last night, Odgar had ran to see the other leaders of Az Sweldn rak Anhuin, and had convinced them that a peace was necessary. He stirred the slow moving dwarves into immediate action. Messengers had been dispatched to the king, and a peace had been agreed upon that night. Az Sweldn rak Anhuin was now reinstated, as members in full of the dwarf kingdom.

"And," Orik smiled turning to Odgar. "Az Sweldn rak Anhuin's chief has a question for you." Odgar inclined his head to Orik and then turned to face Estara.

"We will put to a vote among our people," he said solemnly. "To adopt you as Hrothgar did Eragon. This has never been done in Az Sweldn rak Anhuin and likely never will be again. You Rider have restored the honor of our clan, and must be rewarded in kind." Estara's mouth hung open agape. She never would have thought that this could happen, in another clan, yes, there was precident, but for Az Sweldn rak Anhuin-the clan known for their distaste and anger of Riders-to adopt her, a orphan Rider, who's brother was a Shade, was too much for her to handle.

She stood and crossed the small room, and embraced Odgar firmly, causing laughter from all but her and Odgar. When she pulled away, she saw that Odgar was beaming. "I take it you approve." he said laughing.

_If your people agree, _Estara smiled _I would be honored to join your clan. I must warn you though, my knowledge of your language is awful, in fact I only know curse words. _The room burst out laughing, even the dragons could not contain their mirth.

"Then you will make a fine, Knurlan,_"_ Orik laughed. "With Az Sweldn rak Anhuin on board, we can discuss marshaling some troops to aide the human kingdom, against the Shades attacks. We've had trouble garnering enough votes to move against him."

Estara and Eldwin were dismissed shortly after. Eldwin had already packed to leave, but Estara argued that they should rest another night.

"We don't have time to stick around here," he said. Before Estara could object Tracker joined in,

_We can rest easier when we are in Ellesmera,_ he said. _But until then we should push forward. Time is our enemy, and we have wasted too much already._

Estara glared at him but agreed. They took off from Tarnag and followed the Az Ragni river north. The flight was much more cheerful than the several sullen flights they'd had recently. The were all talking and joking, even Eldwin. Estara watched him carefully, knowing that he felt he had an executioners sword hanging over his head.

When they made camp that night, she tried to get him to promise not to save her if the time came.

"I won't promise that Estara," he growled "So stop asking."

_Eldwin, please,_ she begged. _Please don't. I swear I'll be careful, I'll even avoid combat, but you can't give up._

He stared at her, with that look in his eyes that she couldn't name, and sighed. "I won't make any vows, not in this or any other language. I won't stand back and watch you die, if I can stop it," he said, and then he whispered so quietly that she had to strain to hear him "I couldn't live with myself if I did." Before she could protest he rose from the fire walked off alone. Gilda slowly rose and followed him into the night.

She sighed, shaking her head, trying to think of a way around her problem. She couldn't let him just die, not if she could do something about it. A now familiar pain griped her chest, and she brushed it aside, she still had no idea what it was. She was about to ask Tracker, when she heard him begin to growl.

_Something is coming. _he said. She grabbed Seitherblads and sent her mind out to get a glimpse of what was coming. She felt a mind, an ancient mind, one that recoiled from her contact and pushed her back.

"Calm down Rider," a woman's voice called echoing through the night. "I mean you no harm." Estara stared into the night and began to make out the silhouette of a woman and some kind of animal drawing nearer to her. A trickle of thought made it's way in to Estara's mind, and she conjured a vision to be sure before she touched the woman's mind again and said,

_Hello Angela._ She could sense irritation coming off of Angela in waves as the woman continued to approach. Estara fixed a smile on her face and stood, waiting. The woman walked closer to the firelight, and Estara was taken aback. This woman, looked exactly the same as the woman in the fairths in Eragon's office. She had not changed in two hundred years. Wild curly brown hair cascaded down her back, and her face was youthful in appearance with a slightly upturned nose. Her eyes flashed brightly in the flickering firelight. A large tomcat, that Estara knew to be her companion, the werecat, Solembum.

"So," Angela said narrowing her bright eyes. "You know who I am, let me guess as to who you are." Estara was vaguely aware of the werecat trotting over and pawing at Tracker's claws playfully, as Angela circled the fire and stood next to her staring with an appraising eye. "You can not speak," Estara nodded "You have a gift for invading the minds of others," Estara shrugged with a smile. "And you have silver hair," Angela finished smiling. "You must be the dragon-child that I have heard so much about." Angela let out a small laugh, a tinkling sort of noise.

_You know of me?_ Estara asked.

"Oh," Angela smiled. "I've heard of you. I tend to keep an ear to the ground for things I may find interesting." Angela sat down in front of the fire, seeming to be very at home. Estara sat a few feet from her, watching, keenly interested in this woman. She was a figure of mystery, something of a legend told on Vroengard. And here she was, sharing her campfire. She felt the werecat stretch out and touch her mind.

_We have very carefully followed your actions since returning to the mainland. You are a figure of much,_ Solembum paused purring, as if ruminating over the words. She watched him as he stretched his long, lanky body, before finishing _curiosity to us. _Angela smiled at his words and nodded.

_What have I done,_ she laughed in their minds, _that is so curious? I don't think I've done anything particularly interesting._

Angela narrowed her eyes and seemed to be studying Estara. After a few moments she let out a bark of laughter. "And humble too! All that power and you are as humble as the day is long." She collapsed in laughter. "The Rider who seems to have stolen the hearts of the people of Teirm with her gentility. The woman who is the savoir and benefactor of orphans in Belatona. The savior of the people of Melian, who bravely faced down an army of undead by herself to ensure that the people had time to escape, and perhaps the most intriguing," Angela smiled and narrowed her eyes at Estara in a playful manner, "The adopted daughter of Az Sweldn rak Anhuin-a clan notorious for it's hatred of Riders." Angela indulged in another bout of laughter. "Oh how I would love to be a fly on the wall for the rest of your journey."

Estara sat in silence. She had not thought that she'd done anything particularly impressive. She had just been doing her job, something any other Rider would have done in her place. But what Angela was suggesting was that this had all been somehow important, somehow impressive. She was suddenly aware of Angela's eyes on her again. "You really don't know how special you are, which make you all the more interesting."

Angela pulled out a long stone pipe, with a wooden mouth piece, and packed some tobacco in the pipe before lighting it and placing it between her teeth. When she took a long drag off the pipe, Estara inhaled deeply. She father had smoked a pipe on occasion, and the smell of the burning tobacco made her think of home.

"Solembum," Angela said between puffs of her pipe, "Thinks I should offer to read your future."

_I know more than I'd like to about my future,_ Estara said with bitter humor. _It's the present that gives me difficulty_.

"As I thought, you'd say." Angela said with a smile. "Then let me give you some advice, instead."

_Advice would be wonderful,_ Estara said with a knowing smile. _Especially from, the wise-one, the bane of Durgrimst Quan, wielder of Tinkledeath, friend of Urgals and a member of a legendary ancient race._ Estara watched as Angela grew still, stiller that she had ever seen someone get, a scowl plastered on her face. She heard a coughing purr from Solembum and realized that he was laughing.

"You gleaned more from your brief contact than I expected." Angela said solemnly her eyes boring into Estara.

_No,_ Estara said simply _Just putting the pieces of the puzzle together._ Angela cocked her head to one side, much the way that Estara did when she was confused or working on a difficult problem. Angela nodded, seeming to accept Estara's explanation. Angela closed her eyes for a moment, before taking out a pouch and pulling out what appeared to be dragon knuckle bones. Tracker, who had been simply observing the exchange, growled at the sight of these.

"Calm down, hatchling," Angela rolled her eyes at Tracker. "I did not kill the dragon for these, and it was even with his permission that, after his death, I collected and use them, so don't get your tail in a knot." Estara stole a glance at Tracker to see that he was still lifting his lip in a silent snarl. She looked back to Angela, who cast the bones on the ground and studied them a minute before picking them up and placing them back into her pouch.

Then Angela did something that surprised Estara. She stood, taking one more long drag on her pipe, before bending and tapping the ash out on a rock. "Two things you fear will come to pass," Angela said crushing the embers from her pipe under her foot. "One can be rectified, the other can not. Remember that you posses power than no one else does, and do not fear to use it." With that Angela turned to leave, without another word.

Solembum, stretched and trotted off after Angela. As he crossed the fire he paused at look Estara directly in the eye. _Remember that a few moments of peace before the end of ones life, can change a person, gives them the chance to confide their secrets. Don't forget that dragon-child. We shall see you in Ilirea. _And with that final word, he trotted off into the dark.

Estara thought about Angela and Solembum's parting words. She toiled over what they could have meant. Tracker commented helpfully once in a while but eventually said,

_I assume, as with some of your visions, they will not make sense until the time is right._

_You're probably right,_ Estara sighed. _Do you think we should tell Eldwin and Gilda?_

_That I can't answer._ Tracker hummed comfortingly. _The words seem rather personal, and may have just been intended for you. _Estara shrugged, knowing that it was unlikely that the other pair could shed any light on the parting words, and dropped the subject.

She stoked the fire, and finally saw Eldwin and Gilda flying back to the camp. They landed, and Gilda lumbered over to Tracker, nuzzling him affectionately. Estara felt a pang of longing, and stole a glance at Eldwin, who was staring directly at her. _Anything interesting happen while we were gone?_ she asked curling up next to him.

_Angela and the werecat were here,_ said Tracker casually, watching Gilda and Eldwin closely for the shock and surprise. Gilda's surprised was evident thought her connection to their minds.

"Wait," Eldwin asked in obvious confusion. "Angela? The Angela?" Estara nodded, a smile on her face. She and Tracker hadn't planned the ambush of information, but they both found it funny to watch the faces of their friends. "Did she say anything?" Eldwin asked watching Estara closely.

_A few things,_ Estara shrugged. _None of which make any sense._

"I've heard that's her way," Eldwin said with a nod. He walked around their small campfire and sat next to her, staring into the heat of the fire. "I'm going to compromise with you," he said not looking at her. "I won't put myself in unnecessary danger, if you don't, but if you are in a situation where it comes down to you or me," he paused and turned to her looking at her with his intense eye that flickered and seem to change color in the firelight. "I choose you."

Estara reached out and grabbed Eldwin's hand, weaving her fingers though his. Her heart caught in her throat, and she couldn't think of anything to say. She nodded, and prayed that it would never come to that, but his words touched her, eliciting sorrow and overwhelming new respect for him.

A cold wind blew from the south, and she shivered, only partially from the cold. Eldwin rubbed a warm hand over her chilled arm and hesitantly asked, "Should we sleep nearer each other tonight?" Estara blushed, glad for the pervasive darkness and hoped that it would be enough to hide it from him. She thought about saying no, but another gust of wind shot across them from the cold, Beor Mountains, and she nodded.

They went about silently, moving their bedrolls next to each other and pulling out the cloaks from Estara's saddle bags. She climbed in to her bedroll and shivered again as the wind picked up. Eldwin draped the cloaks over the bedrolls, and then climbed under himself. Tracker and Gilda had agreed to keep watch, and soon the human and elf were drifting off to sleep, with their backs to each other.

The next morning, when she woke, Estara found that sometime in the night, she shifted. She had rolled over on to her other side her head nuzzled under Eldwin's chin, and her hand gripping the front of his tunic. He too had shifted rolling over as well, one arm thrown over her waist holding her close and the opposite hand buried in her hair.

Estara blushed, her cheeks feeling feverish. Eldwin was clearly still asleep and Tracker and Gilda were speaking rapidly in the dragon's native tongue. She blocked her thoughts from Tracker, and took the quiet time to try and sort through her thoughts on Eldwin. He was irritating, and often abrasive, seeming to have none of the calm restraint that most of his race possess.

However in the last few weeks, she'd seen something in him that she never had thought was even there. He was kind, and doting. At times he seemed to care more about her well being than his own, even saying that if it came down to it, he'd willing die to save her. Her heart clenched tightly at the thought and she was left with a dull, throbbing ache in her chest.

She looked up and studied his face in his sleep. His face was youthful, and angular, very masculine. She blushed felling silly for just staring at him as intently as she was. He really was incredibly handsome, the ache in her chest disappeared at this thought, and was replaced by a flutter. She sighed, realizing what this was. She had feelings, much more than simple friendship. _But how much more?_ she asked herself.

Before she could delve into this, she felt Eldwin stirring around her, and she froze. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, into a near sleep-like state, and she mostly accomplished it, except for the rapid beating of her heart. She felt Eldwin stiffen around her, and then he began to slowly, and gently extricate himself from their precarious position.

Estara felt her heart drop, _I guess that answers how he feels about me,_ she thought to herself. She listened to him as he moved around the camp, re-starting the fire, and digging around in their now meager supplies for something to eat. She remained where she was, feigning sleep, so that he wouldn't know about her thoughts or that she had watched him sleep.

After what she thought was an appropriate amount of time, she began to rouse herself. When she sat up, she saw Eldwin watching her cautiously from the other side of the fire, resting against Gilda. She rubbed her eyes, and rose, beginning to pick up the cloaks and bedrolls that had made up their bed the night before.

_What's wrong with you?_ Tracker asked.

_What do you mean?_ she asked sharply.

_You've been stomping around all morning._ Tracker said, irritation clear in his voice. _So I ask again, What is wrong with you?_

Estara bristled. _Nothing is wrong,_ she said. _Can't I just be in a mood without everyone questioning it?_ This came out harsher than she had intended. Tracker gave her a glare and puffed smoke out of his great nostrils. Estara sighed. _I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh, I just have a lot on my mind. _She placed a hand on his great head and began stroking that spot between his eyes again, making him purr.

_Anything you want to talk about?_ he asked. Estara thought about it for a minute. Talking to Tracker may give her some clarity on the subject, but her own thoughts were just so tumultuous that she decided it was best to keep them to herself for now.

_Not yet._ she said. _But when I do, you'll be the first to know. _This earned an appreciative rumble from him and he withdrew, leaving her to her own thoughts. They left camp about a quarter of a hour later, the cheerfulness of yesterday's flight a thing of the past.

They flew for two days. Each night they camped, and each night the cold wind blew causing them to shiver. But Eldwin didn't offer to sleep near her again, and Estara never bothered to bring it up, instead she curled up under Tracker's wing to keep herself warm, the steady breath of the dragon doing much to keep her thoughts at bay.

Strong winds gusted against them as they drew closer to the elves city of Silthrim. They wanted to push through, but it was quickly seeming futile. The landed in Silthrim, to cries of laughter and joy. Estara was amused at the joy elves took when seeing dragons. It was as if they were children playing with a favorite toy.

She was shown to a room, that had been made available for her use, and relished the chance to have a proper bath for the first time since Teirm. She soaked in the water and scrubbed every inch of her body clean of grime and dirt, then drained the tub and filled it again, to simply relax in the hot water. Long after her fingers and toes and begun to look like dried fruit, she got out and dried off.

She walked back into the main room of the living space, and saw that Tracker was curled up on a dais, snoring away. She moved to the bed, to see that a dress had been laid out for her along with a note. She read the note, written in the Liduen Kvaedhi, in an elegant hand.

'Estara-Elda,

Tonight seems to the annual 'hjarta abr du wleden', a festival of sorts that the elves conduct to aide in the flourishing of the forest. If I had known I never would have let us stop here, the whole ritual tends to stir the blood up into a frenzy. We've been invited to participate in the bonfire tonight, and seeing as it would be excessively rude to say no, I agreed on our behalf. The elves do you a particular honor, as no outsider has been invited to attend in centuries. The fire begins at sundown, I will see you there.'

Estara knew it was Eldwin, even though he had not signed it. She stared at the lack of signature, and it puzzled her. She assumed he couldn't think of a proper way to end the letter and simply abstained. She turned her attention to the dress on her bed. It was a dark green in color, with thin straps not more than a inch in width. The dress hung loosely on her slight frame and the fabric pooled in a wide skirt just below her knees. She was just about to grab her belt, to cinch in the waist, when she saw an intricate bodice, made of heavy fabric and beaded with intricate starburst design.

She frowned, lacing herself into the bodice. She thought this was a little to intricate, too cold to wear on such a chilly night, but above all, too revealing. She was completely uncomfortable showing as much leg, and arm that this dress showed. The elves may have been more liberal when it came to exposed skin, but back in her home village, anyone wearing this would have been deemed a harlot.

She looked in the mirror and stared at the woman looking back at her. She looked stronger, older, more confident than Estara felt at this moment. She heard a deep rumbling laugh from behind her and turned to scowl at Tracker.

_What's wrong?_ she asked.

_Nothing, _he bared his teeth in a smile. _You just look different, that's all. _

_Bad different?_ Estara asked turning back to the mirror. This earned another laugh from Tracker.

_No, _he laughed. _Not at all. You look lovely…for a human._ Estara shot him a playful glare. _Why do you care so much about your appearance tonight?_ Estara's heart started beating faster as an image of Eldwin popped into her head. She was able to block her thoughts from Tracker, but not the reaction that her body had. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to search her for a minute before laughing to himself and suggested that they leave for the bonfire.

He prodded her the entire short flight to the bonfire, about her reaction to his teasing, but she still thought herself silly, so refused to confide in him. The air around Estara was chilly, and she thought about returning to her quarters to change into something warmer, but when they landed she was grateful for the skimpy attire. The air surrounding the fire was thick with heat. She looked around the bonfire and saw that all the elves were dressed in a similar fashion, the women in dresses just like hers, the men in light weight leggings and boots. Most men went bare chested, but the few who wore shirts, she noted wore nearly identical billowy shirts of muslin that had a low cut below the neck to let in air.

She spotted Eldwin on the far side of the fire, speaking to an older elf that Estara assumed was his father. The looked a lot alike. Same dirty blond hair, same tan skin, and the same jaw line. She watched as they stopped speaking and both turned at once to look at her. The older elf smiled at her, but Eldwin's face was locked in a scowl. The two walked over to her and she bowed to the new elf, he returned the favor. They both place their fingers on their lips in the standard greeting, but before Estara could speak, the elf began the traditional greeting-surprising her. After the formalities had been observed the elf spoke,

"It's a pleasure to meet you Estara-Elda," he said. "My son has told me much about you and the things that you have accomplished since leaving Vroengard. I am Elmar."

_The pleasure is all mine, Elmar-Elda,_ she said, eliciting a smile from Elmar. _It's so wonderful to meet a relative of Eldwin's. _

"You did not mention," Elmar said with a laugh. "How charming she is, Elwin." Estara smiled at the praise and her gaze flickered to Eldwin. He was staring at her with worry.

"Yes, father," he said with a warning look in his eyes. "She is very charming." Estara looked at him with a curious look, she just couldn't figure out what he was worried about. Just then, drums began to beat loudly.

"Ah," Elmar said with a wide smile, "I must excuse myself." With that he bowed to Estara and left to join the musicians on the other side of the fire. Her smile left when she turned to Eldwin.

_What's wrong with you?_ she asked him _You seem worried._

"I am," he said exasperatedly "Did you get the note?" Estara bristled when she thought of the unsigned note left on her bed.

_Yes,_ she said calmly, trying to mask how upset she was. _What about it? _Eldwin opened his mouth to respond, but whatever he said was lost in the chanting and music. The festivities had begun.

The rest of the night was a blur. She danced with wild abandon around the fire, being spun about by several partners in a dance that seemed to have no end. Her heart fluttered in endless joy. She excused herself, from a dark haired elf, to catch her breath and try to escape the stifling heat. As she walked away from the fire she saw Gilda and Tracker curled up in the heat, humming contentedly.

She leaned against a tree, trying to gather herself,the fluttering joy turning into a fluttering pain, growing more unbearable the farther she got from the fire. The pain seemed to stop and she found herself in a strong pair of arms, held closely against a bare chest. She looked up to see who was there, only to have a pair of lips crash down upon hers.

She had been kissed before, by a few of the various Riders on Vroengard, but this was something else, something entirely different. She threw herself into the kiss with a wild enthusiasm, that she would have never believed she possessed only earlier that day. Every touch, every kiss left her burning with an exhilaration that she had never known, and didn't want to end. For the first time in many weeks, she felt happy. A happiness so encompassing that she didn't know how to stand it.

She returned to the fire, dancing fervently between kisses that took her breath away. Once again she escaped to the forest to clear her mind, but this was impossible. The strong arms encircled her waist and simply held her tenderly. She reached out with her mind, and whispered_ Stay with me_. She was rewarded with another searing kiss. And a familiar voice whispered in her ear "Always". 

Author's Note: So the Hjarta abr du Welden, literally 'heart of the forest', is supposed to be based off of the events in Eldest, when Eragon and crew were stuck outside an Elvish city, and the singing drove them bonkers. Saphira was also driven to frenzy and began then to yearn for a mate. Hopefully you enjoy what's coming next.


	12. Chapter 12

When she woke the next morning, the first thing she noticed was exhaustion in her limbs. She hadn't felt like this since her early days on Vroengard. The second thing she noticed was a strong pair of arms holding her closely, and that her own were wrapped tightly around a solid masculine waist. She shook her head, trying to shake off the haze from the festivities the night before, when she felt a deep rumbling in the chest that she was snuggled closely to, and a strong hand caressed her cheek gently before clasping her chin, tilting it up and kissing her lips tenderly. The thrill that she remembered feeling from last night, coursed through her veins, and she returned the kiss with vigor, running her hands up a very bare chest and into short hair.

Estara's eyes shot open with recognition and Eldwin pulled away from the kiss and looked back at her, a mixture of surprise and relief in his eyes. She pulled away and stood up as quickly as her muscles would allow, and stared at Eldwin with shock, not knowing what to say. She watched Eldwin rise slowly as if he too was sore, and her heart started beating rapidly as memories of the last night came back to her all at once.

_Eldwin I,_ she started to say. She stopped when she saw his eyes. That look, the one she couldn't place before. She knew what it was now, because it was echoed in her own-longing.

"You don't have to say anything Estara," Eldwin said taking a step closer to her. Her heart was already beating so fast that she was sure she was going to pass out, but when he placed an arm around her waist and drew her into another kiss, her legs gave out and she was only supported by his arms around her. She fought for control, and finally pulled away her lips tingling.

_We shouldn't, _she whispered that pain suddenly sprang back into her chest. _We can't. _She forced herself to look at him, and almost cried at the pain evident in his eyes.

"So last night," he said with a growl "Was a mistake." She knew she should say something, but she couldn't. But her silence spoke volumes. "I knew we never should have stayed here. We never should have come, I never should have volunteered to go with you." Estara stood there silent biting her lip to keep the tears away. "I knew that this would happen, once we landed here. I even asked my father to get us out of the hjarta. Told him that I shouldn't be there, that I couldn't control myself."

_Control yourself?_ she asked earning a mocking look from Eldwin.

"Why?" he threw his hands up in the air. "Why can you not see it? Everyone else can."

_See what, Eldwin?_ she asked gently hoping to calm him down, before a crowd gathered to watch. He turned around and stared at her, his temper seemed to be dying down. He slowly walked to where she stood, and placed a hand gently on her cheek.

"I love you," he said. Estara took a step back and tripped but he caught her. She couldn't believe it, it had to be some cruel joke, but she knew in her heart that it wasn't. Why had she never seen it before? Was she really that dense? All the evidence was there, even when she thought he hated her, she could now see all the teasing attention in a different light. Her father had been right all along.

The tears that had threatened to fall, started coursing down her face. Eldwin looked at her again and she knew she could no longer stand there. She turned an ran as fast as her tired limbs would carry her. She heard Eldwin calling out her name, and heard his light footfalls behind her, gaining on her. She channeled magic into her exhausted legs and put on a new burst of speed, and before long she could no longer hear him behind her, no longer could hear him call her name. It was only then that she began to slow.

She ran until she found a clearing and then stopped. She sank to her knees and let herself cry. She was vaguely aware of Tracker trying to push into her mind, but she pushed him aside. She felt him take off and begin to fly to her clearing, how he'd gleaned this information she didn't know.

Half an hour later she felt the great gusts of wind that accompanied his landing. She leapt up running to him and threw her arms around his neck. He just stood there, making a soothing rumbling sound, but saying nothing. Instead she flooded him with everything that she could remember from the hjarta the night before and her entire encounter with Eldwin that morning. She held nothing back. When she finally calmed down, she allowed herself to sink to the forest floor below her. Tracker bent his great head and looked her in the eye.

_How long have you been in love with him?_ he asked after a while. Estara took a deep breath and let it out again before even attempting to answer.

_To be honest,_ she sighed _I'm not sure, but I think since Teirm._ Tracker rumbled his assent.

_And you never thought to talk to me about it?_ Tracker said the anger in his voice evident. Estara thought hard before answering. Had she kept this a secret because of her own hurt at Tracker's betrayal? No, that wasn't it.

_I, _she said slowly. _I wanted to be sure of how I felt before I talked to you about it. I'm so sorry Tracker. I should have talked to you about it._ The silver dragon was quiet for some time before he spoke.

_You're right,_ he said. _You should have._ He paused again before he spoke. _He's felt this way for sometime you know. _

_I gathered as much,_ she said with a frown. _I just don't know why I ran._

_Love, _Tracker said sounding wise beyond his twenty years. _This kind of love, is overwhelming. I'm not surprised that you ran. _Estara laughed bitterly.

_You may not be surprised, _she said. _But I'm sure that wasn't what he was expecting after a declaration of love._ She paused a horrible thought crossing her mind. _What if I ruined any chance at a future we could have had? Maybe this is why elves and humans aren't meant to be together._ She hid her face in her hands at this thought. _Maybe we were doomed from the start._

_I've always thought. _Tracker bared his teeth in a smile, _That the elves only wrote of the disastrous relationships of elves and humans, because they have a fascination with tragedy. _For the first time since she woke up in Eldwin's arms, she smiled. _Come now little one, we should go back and talk to Eldwin._.

She jumped on Tracker's back and they took off soaring towards Silthrim, all the time she tried to contact Eldwin with her mind.

_He's pushing me away,_ she said _I can't reach him. _

_I thought as much,_ Tracker growled. _All of our plotting done in by the elves stupid festival._

_What?_ Estara asked sending her irritation to Tracker.

_Gilda and I have been trying to work this out from the beginning,_ Tracker laughed. _Otherwise do you really think I would have let him hover over you the way that he does, that's my job._ Estara rolled her eyes.

_Great now our dragons are even conspiring against us._

_Yes, _Tracker said slyly. _But it was in your best interest. _He went silent for a moment and then said, _They're back at Eldwin's rooms, _and he adjusted his flight pattern. Estara didn't even need to guess how he knew, not after Tracker's confession that he and Gilda had been plotting.

After a few minutes, Tracker landed them in front of Eldwin's rooms and Estara leapt out of the saddle, running as fast as she could up the stairs and burst through the door. Eldwin turned to her in shock, surprised that she had even found him. He sat, much the way he had in Tarnag, staring out the window.

_Eldwin,_ she said gently _We need to talk about,_

"No," he said quietly. "No we don't." He stood up and walked past her, barely even looking in her direction, keeping his back turned towards her.

_Eldwin, _she pleaded.

"No, Estara," he said again sounding more sure of himself. "You said quite enough already."

_But I didn't say anything,_ she said. She walked to where he was standing and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"That's the point," he said not turning around but staring at the wall as if it held something of interest.

_Eldwin, please, _she said again pouring all her urgency in to two simple words. Suddenly she recoiled sharply as she was shoved from his mind forcefully. Gilda growled, and he shot her a look,

"Who's side are you on anyway," Eldwin growled as he grabbed his clothes and started packing. Estara already knew what she was going to do.

_Be careful, Estara_ Tracker said _Don't loose your temper and take it too far._ She took a deep breath to calm herself, Tracker was right, her plan was a bit risky, and could end disastrously. She reached out and gently touched his mind, only to be thrown back again. She assaulted his defenses, not at all like the last time. This time she want him to know that she was there. He fought back furiously, for the first time, turning to look her directly in the eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked his voice strained from the mental struggle taking place.

_Making you listen,_ she answered not without a little effort.

"This is against every rule," he growled his defenses started cracking. "You are only to invade another's mind in combat."

_Who's to say,_ Estara said with amusement clear in her voice. _That this doesn't loosely fit the definition of magicians in combat?_ Eldwin laughed out loud, his defenses dropping as he did. She wanted too, but didn't push into his mind any further. She'd done what she wanted too, gotten him to talk to her. When he had finished laughing, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.

Estara breathed deeply and sighed. Never in her life had she thought that being in someone's arms could feel so much like home. She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight squeeze, and then pulled away looking up at him.

_Can we talk now?_ she asked playfully.

"No," he responded completely serious, his arms still wrapped around her.

_Eldwin,_ Estara snapped at him with a tone similar to someone cursing.

"I'm serious," he said his tone conveying as much. He reluctantly let her go and stepped back from her, his eyes filled with longing. "We have a job to do, and we can't afford any distractions until it's done." Estara started to protest. "No really, how could I live with myself, if you being distracted by this," he gestured between the two of them, "Got you killed."

_That's the oldest line in the book_, Estara rolled her eyes, but understood.

"That may be," Eldwin chuckled. "But I swear, if we both come through this alive, we will talk after the Shade is defeated." With great pain, Estara remembered her vision, holding Eldwin as his soul left his body. She closed her eyes and swore to herself, that wasn't going to happen, even if it killed her. "Go change," Eldwin said adopting his usual cold demeanor, which no longer fooled her, "We'll leave for Ellesmera as soon as you are packed."

Author's note: Much shorter than I usually put up I know, but after I put up a little less than 9,000 words yesterday, I think you'll all forgive me. My favorite line of the entire chapter, "that's the oldest line in the book." Eldwin's excuse is the same that Arya used throughout the series, and it was just way too much fun to poke at it, valid as it may be. Let me know what you think.

ChaCha


	13. Chapter 13

Their trip to Ellsemera would have taken longer, but for the first time since they started the journey, they had favorable winds. When they touched down in the elves capitol, Estara was surprised at the reception that Eldwin received. Several of his childhood friends rushed to greet him, talking excitedly about his return to his childhood home. She saw a much different side to him, the more gentle, gregarious side that she had never seen him exhibit on Vroengard or anywhere else. She shook in laughter as she watched him, completely overwhelmed by the large group of elves.

Much to her surprise, many of his friends introduced themselves to her. They talked about the many things he'd said about her over the years, and how excited they were to finally meet her. She knew now, the depths of Eldwin's feelings, but was still overwhelmed with the amount that the elves knew about her. _Does he really talk about me that much?_ she thought.

_As Gilda puts it, _Tracker said _Most days she's just simply sick of hearing your name._ Estara scowled at Tracker, and wondered if it was true or if he was joking. They were finally able to escape the elves, who after greeting them, quickly turned their attention to the dragons. Tracker and Gilda were happy sitting among the elves and basking in praise, so Estara and Eldwin made their way to the throne room, to find the queen.

After more of the tedious formal greetings, Eldwin began telling their tale to the assembled elves and Queen Arya. He recounted most of their tale in full, leaving out only a few things. Estara's visions were one, and she knew that the elves would leap at the chance to question a seer further. But what surprised her, was that Eldwin left out the fact that the shade was her brother, and the events in Silthrim.

She was grateful that he left these events out, although Arya seemed to understand that there was more to the story than what was presented. When the tale was completed, she dismissed the rest of the elves, saying that she had Rider business to discuss with them. The elves left politely enough but Estara could sense they're irritation at the dismissal, they wanted to know more. When the doors of the hall closed securely behind the last of them, Arya turned to them an inquisitive gleam in her eye.

"What aren't you telling me?" she asked. Eldwin sighed seeming to resign to the fact that Estara's new would have to come out.

_The shade is my brother,_ Estara admitted before Eldwin could. She watched the queen tense up at her words, and she stared hard at Estara.

"You are sure of this?" Arya said her dark eyes boring into her.

_Yes, your majesty,_ Estara said solemnly. Arya broke her eye contact, and seemed to stare into space, thinking.

"You were right to keep this from the assembly," Arya said after a few moments of contemplation. "Shades are an abuse of magic, and you would have been regarded with suspicion if they were to find out." Estara bristled at the idea. He was her brother, yes, but it was not as if she encouraged him to bring war upon the people. "Have you had anymore visions since Vroengard?" Estara nodded. She reached out and touched the queens mind, and replayed the visions, leaving nothing out. She tried not to pay attention to the visions as they replayed in her mind, she didn't want to remember being choked again or worse yet, relive Eldwin's final moments.

When the visions had replayed themselves, Arya looked at Estara with a mixture of fear and sadness in her eyes. "Does Eragon know of these newer visions?"

"Yes," Eldwin nodded. "He does. I've kept him up on anything of importance on our journey." The way he said this, anyone could tell that much more had happened-and Arya was no different. She watched Eldwin with curiosity, waiting for him to say something else, but he held his tongue.

"Well," Arya said seeming to change the subject. "This Shade seems to be heading strait to Ilirea, after a devastating detour to Furnost. A Rider, Caron and his dragon Styx both fell there," she said with great pain. Estara bowed her head. She had not know Caron well, in fact the first time she had met him was in Melian, but she said a prayer for Caron and Styx none the less. "This just goes to show that we can not underestimate this Shade. We need to get the blessing of Linnea, so that Eragon can return. We can afford no more," she paused and shot a knowing look to Eldwin, "distractions."

Estara's heart seemed to stop for a moment and she glanced at Eldwin. His face wore the impassive mask of the elves, but his eyes betrayed him. His eyes were filled with guilt at the queens words. Her eyes flickered to Estara, and instead of trying to be impassive, she tried to look confused at the queens words. Arya's eyes narrowed at Estara's furrowed brow, but she said nothing. Silence fell in the room, only the joyous laughter of the elves outside with the dragons broke through the thick fog of unspoken accusations.

"Well Estara," the queen said finally. "I suggest you retire to your room. You will need rest before speaking to the Menoa tree. I have a feeling it will not be an easy conversation." With that Estara and Eldwin bowed and turned to leave. "Wait a moment Eldwin," Arya said in an even voice. "I have something I wish to speak with you about."

Estara shot a panicked look at Eldwin, and was met with a small resolved smile. She wished that she could give his hand a small squeeze of encouragement, but she had the feeling it was just that sort of thing that was about to cause Eldwin trouble. So instead she smiled in return, and left.

A tall dark elf was waiting outside with Tracker to show them to their room. Under Arya's orders, after the Riders had reformed, several additional houses had been sung out of the trees to accommodate the need of the Riders. The houses were at the tops of giant redwood trees, just outside the city to allow for some privacy. The elf left her at the base of the tree that was to be her home for as long as she was here. She gazed up at the house, nestled in the highest most branches of the tree and mentally groaned at the long winding staircase that wound its way to the top.

Tracker offered to fly her up, but, she declined. Her legs were still sore from dancing around the bonfire, but she wanted the climb to clear her mind and exhaust her body. She knew that the confrontation with Linnea would begin tomorrow and who knows how long it would take before she was able to convince her to remove her curse from Eragon.

She reached the top of the tree, more than a little out of breath. She was in excellent shape, but the house was so high and the stairs were steep. She was so tired she flopped onto the bed, and drifted off to sleep.

She was plagued by nightmares, it was clear that these were nightmares and not visions. She dreamt of Eldwin's death over and over, but as she wept over his body, he suddenly came back to life. She leapt into his arms, and felt his hands touch her face and roam down to her neck. His fingers wrapped around her throat and began to cut off her air. She looked panicked at his eyes, but they were not there. They had been replaced by the Shade's black eyes, and suddenly Eldwin transformed into the Shade.

The Shade laughed and leaned in to whisper into her ear, and Gavnar's voice whispered, "Good night dear sister," when he pulled back she saw her brother, just as he was the day he ran from the clearing, his small hands choking the life out of her.

She awoke to the sound of a door slamming, and bolted upright. She saw that Gilda had joined Tracker on the large cushion in the single room, and saw Eldwin climbing up through the hatch in the floor, slamming it as hard as he could behind him.

_Eldwin,_ she touched his mind and felt anger and sadness coming off of him in waves. _What's wrong?_ It was several minutes before Eldwin spoke, all the time he stared at the floor. He suddenly shook his head and crossed to her, opening his mind to her and whispered, _See for yourself_, he took her hand and she was swept away by his memory.

The first thing that surprised Estara was how sharp all of Eldwin's senses were, his vision made out details perfectly that her eyes were only vaguely aware of, and that was after twenty years of being bonded with a dragon. She felt his power and strength barely contained in his limbs. She knew he was strong, years of sparring with him had taught her that, but this strength was more than just physical, it was a spiritual and emotional strength that overwhelmed her. She feared that she didn't have an once of his determination.

She heard Ayra's voice, richer and deeper than she remembered it, and saw through Eldwin's eyes as he turned to look at her. She was amazed to she herself through his eyes, beautiful, fierce, and seemingly unstoppable. She felt Eldwin's heart break when he looked at her. _So close and yet untouchable _he thought. She saw the worry written all over her own face, and then saw herself smile encouragingly. She suddenly knew what he'd meant when he said that her smile softened her, but he could see the worry still etched in her eyes as she left the throne room.

Eldwin turned back to face the queen, and she felt his worry. He knew what the queen was about to say. He returned to his place before the throne upon which she sat, and bowed once again. In the ancient language she asked,

"What is she to you, Eldwin?" _Tricky _Eldwin thought as he knew he could not lie in this tongue. _Choose your words carefully,_ she heard Gilda whisper in the back of his mind.

"She is a friend, your majesty," he said not elaborating "Irritating and stubborn at times, but a good friend." Estara almost laughed, at his words, the times had she described him in that exact manner were too numerous to count.

"But not only a friend?" Arya asked and she felt Eldwin's heart sink. He tried several times to say something false, but he couldn't, he knew the truth all too well.

"No, your majesty, not only a friend." he finally said honestly. Arya's face softened as she stared at Eldwin with understanding.

"I know how you feel," Arya said with a sad smile. Eldwin glanced at the queen his face solemn. "I'm sure you've heard the stories," Eldwin nodded choosing to remain silent. "Eragon and I were in a similar situation many years ago. He had feelings for me, and to be honest, I for him as well." Eldwin's heart began to race, and Estara could feel her own catch in her throat awaiting the queens next words. _Perhaps_, Eldwin thought _This will go better than I feared._

"But timing, Eldwin," Arya continued. "Timing is a key factor. The timing has never been right for us, and it seems that you too have that curse."

"I understand that, your majesty." Eldwin said through gritted teeth, "That is why nothing has happened." The queen stared at Eldwin with a disapproving glare.

"So you call what happened last night in Silthrim, nothing?" she asked.

At the mention of the bonfire Eldwin's memories from that night surfaced, her dancing, as if a creature not of this world, but one of fire-full of vigor and life. The jealously he felt when she danced with Silam, a tall dark elf. Finding her alone in the forest and taking his chance to kiss her. After years of thinking about it, this kiss blew away all expectations. The fire that spread through him as he held her close and he wished he could never let her go. The way her body felt as he held her against his, as if they were made for each other. The moment that he held above all of that, the moment she whispered _Stay with me._ His heart soared, never having thought that she could ever want him, and him responding "Always," and meaning it in the truest sense of the word.

He was brought back to the present by the queens stare, "Not nothing your majesty. But I know that nothing can happen."

"Good," the queen nodded. "Then you will understand what I am about to do." Panic shot through Eldwin at the queens words. "You will leave for Ilirea immediately."

"But Arya," Eldwin objected, seeming to forget himself for a moment. "I can not leave her."

"You can and you will" Arya said coldly. She sighed and stood up, walking to where Eldwin stood, crestfallen. "I more than anyone in Alagaesia know how you feel, child." she said kindly. "I have been in love for two hundred years and have never been able to be with him. But I know that you also understand your duty to protect her is compromised by your affection for her." Eldwin's heart broke on the spot. He knew everything that Arya said was the truth. He would protect her with his life, and intended to die to save her and didn't think twice about it. But he was scared that she would do the same for him, and he couldn't live with that.

"I would like to say goodbye to her before I leave." Estara could feel his heart break.

"I don't think that is a good idea," Arya said.

"Would you have not wished for more time," he said "With Eragon before he left?" Arya look at him, with a deep understanding, and she laughed.

"As a fellow Rider," she said her voice full of mirth "I applaud your ability to be blunt, but as your queen…" she trailed off, not needing to say more. "Take your time for farewells, but I expect you to leave before sundown." Eldwin bowed and left the queen, alone in the throne room.

When Estara returned to the present, she could think of nothing to do but throw her arms around him, to comfort him, but she waited, knowing that it was not the right thing to do. After all they had been through together, they were being torn apart because of the way they felt for each other. After a few minutes of silence, Eldwin finally looked up at her.

She just stared at him, not knowing what to say. What could she say after seeing his memories? Everything she thought of just didn't convey what she wanted. Not after she saw everything so clearly now. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He grabbed her and drew her into his embrace, just holding her.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but when she noticed that the light was changing outside, she touched his mind. _You have to leave now, don't you?_

"Yes," he said his voice conveying his reluctance and pain. He pulled away from her embrace, and touched his forehead to hers. And in the ancient language he said "I will see you in Ilirea."

_Yes, you will._ she responded in kind. And with out another word, he walked over to Gilda and climbed in the saddle and flew away. Tracker's mournful cry echoing over the forest.

The next morning when she awoke, Estara was painfully aware of a emptiness in her heart. She reached out to Tracker and saw that he was fairing no better than she was. He had gotten so used to having his mate with him, that Gilda's absence harshly affected his mood.

_Do you want to stay here while I speak to Linnea?_ she asked him.

_No,_ he said after considering her suggestion. _I think it's best that we present a united front to her. _Estara didn't disagree. She had no idea what she would encounter when speaking to Linnea. But she tired to weigh every option she could think of. She wasn't worried about getting her attention, but it was how the angry elf would react to her intrusion that frightened her. What if Linnea simply banished her as she had Eragon? Estara shook her head refusing to think of that outcome. It would mean the destruction of everything in Alagaesia.

She tried to eat breakfast but her stomach seemed to have other ideas. Finally resigned to a day a hunger, she climbed on Tracker's back and they floated down to the ground. As Tracker walked the path to the Menoa tree, Estara seemed to find all of her thoughts focusing on Eldwin. If he was alright, if he had made it to Ilirea, if he had been attacked along the way. She didn't have answers to any of these questions, and she understood why Arya had sent him away, but firmly disagreed with the decision. She thought more about him now that he was gone, than she did when he was by her side.

Tracker stopped, and Estara came out of her haze of thoughts to find that they were standing directly in front a the largest tree she had ever seen. Estara fought down another bought of nerves, and dismounted from Tracker's back. She approached the tree with wonder and fear. She walked around the trunk with one hand touching it, just letting the bark scrape her fingers as she moved.

She extended her mind, and found the presence of the Menoa Tree, the spirit of Linnea. It was far more powerful than she had ever imagined it would be, and she began to doubt that she could say anything that could change this enormous being's mind.

_You will do fine,_ Tracker purred as he curled up under the branches, his eyes watching her unblinking. _Just be honest. _

Estara reverently grabbed a low hanging branch and pulled herself into the tree. When she had settled herself above the ground, she place one hand on the massive trunk of the tree, and opened her mind. She patiently prodded the presence of the tree. This seemed to go one for hours, with absolutely no response. She shifted tactics and began to speak to the tree as an old friend, telling amusing stories about life in the village she grew up in.

When still this provoked no response, she changed tactics again. Replaying all the songs she knew in her head. She recalled every memory that she could, the elves singing their songs to the forests on Vroengard, the Urgal war chants that she had heard so often from Arnak and Broga, the dwarf hymns that she had heard Beogar sing as he worked in the forges, the funeral laments that the villagers sang as she laid her parents to rest, Eldwin's lullaby in the cave, and eventually her mother singing songs after dinner at home when she was small.

She finally felt the Menoa Tree stir, _Your persistence impresses me youngling,_ the tree said in a deep rich voice.

_Thank you Linnea-svit-kona_, Estara said

_I did not praise it, _Linnea said_ I simply said it impressed me. Not many would sit as you have for eighteen hours, not moving. _Estara was shocked that it had been that long, she hadn't notice the time slip away from her.

_I have something of importance to discuss with you my lady,_ Estara said. She could sense the annoyance that this caused Linnea though her connection to the tree.

_I have no love of humans,_ Linnea said, _or of dragons. And I have a great dislike of Riders, as I am sure you know why._ She paused thinking, Estara's every muscle taught with anticipation. _However, I will listen to your request in due time. You will return tomorrow, and do everything I ask, or I shall withdraw from you and never speak again._

_Yes, my lady_. Estara said kindly. She would jump though any number of rings, even act like a trained dog in traveling carnival if it meant that the tree would listen to her. _I will return tomorrow._ And with that she withdrew from the tree. She gently jumped from the branch, and noticed how every muscle in her body ached from a whole day perched in the tree not moving. She turned and bowed to the tree, before leaving. She had no idea if Linnea was cognizant of what happened in her clearing, but it never hurt to be extra cautious.

She rose, and her and Tracker walked out of the clearing, to find Arya sitting on a rock off to the side of the path. Estara's temper bubbled to the surface upon seeing the woman who send Eldwin away.

_Be polite,_ Tracker cautioned.

_I know, _she said taking a deep calming breath. She bowed to Arya _Arya-Drottning_ _to what do I owe this honor?_

"No need to be formal," Arya said, surprising Estara greatly. "I came to see if you made any progress."

_Some,_ Estara shrugged. _It's hard to tell, she agreed to listen to me if I did what she asked._ Arya frowned.

"I don't see any harm in that," Arya said "But be careful, Linnea has been without any kind of contact for a long time, that can make anyone a little,"

_Peculiar?_ Estara offered. The queen nodded her head.

"Peculiar is much kinder than what I would have said," Arya smiled. "But yes. Also, you've attracted the notice of many of the elves today. They are curious why you would sit and speak with the tree for so long. I told them that it was the business of the Riders, but I can't guarantee that they will not be observing you tomorrow." Estara frowned. The last thing she wanted right now was an audience. But she understood that the elves were, above all, very curious. And day to day life in Ellesmera was mostly the same. So she understood that what she was doing was bound to be a thing of interest to the elves.

_As long as they swear not to interfere or distract me in any way, _Estara shrugged _I don't see what harm it can do. _Arya smiled, seeming to be pleased by her answer.

"I will inform them of such," she said. "If they do not swear to me, upon your conditions they will be removed from the clearing, by force if necessary." Estara smiled in thanks, and her heart suddenly pained again. She thought that that would have been Eldwin's job. Arya smiled at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know you miss him," Estara adopted a look of aloof impassivity and stared at the queen, not speaking. "Believe me, it brought me no joy to send him away," the look of sorrow on her face made Estara believe that she was speaking the truth. Arya took a deep breath, and smiled sadly. "You should get some rest." And with that, the queen left her.

Estara was too tired to climb the stairs to her room, so Tracker flew her up to the top of the tree. When he landed, she carefully climbed off his back, all of her muscles still complaining after having been still for so long. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt the pain in her temples indicating a vision. She leaned on Tracker for support.

_Do you wish me to go with you?_ he said. She smiled and nodded. Tracker widened his link with her just as the vision overcame her.

There was no darkness, only light filtered in from the trees above. She watched as a tall elven woman sang to the trees in front of her, with such love and devotion, that Estara knew instinctively that this was Linnea. She watched as a young elven man walked over to her. He spoke of love, of devotion, all the things that Linnea had not sought, devoting her life to her forest. Estara watched as this repeated, day after day, until one day, Linnea professed that she loved him too.

Flashes spanning many years, flew by Estara and she struggled to remember them all. Kisses near a lake, long nights spent in doors talking, a special spot, known only to them deep within the forest where a large, ancient tree stood. Estara recognized the low branch that she had made her perch that day, this was to become Linnea's final resting spot.

She watched as Linnea returned to the home she shared with the young man, to find him standing there embracing a young elf woman. He told Linnea how he grew weary of her, how he longed for someone closer to his own age, someone who understood him in a way that she could not. Estara watched in horror as Linnea drew a dagger from her belt, and killed the woman, then with rage burring in her eyes killed her lover.

Linnea ran, broken hearted both by his words and by her own actions. She never thought she would be capable of such a terrible act. She ran, their blood still fresh on her hands, to her secret spot, the ancient tree. She threw herself against the tree and with tear streaming down her face began to sing herself into the tree, disavowing her race and pledging her very life essence to the forest that she loved

Authors Note: It broke my heart to do that to poor Eldwin and Estara but seriously, did any of us think that. with the fate of the world resting in the balance, Arya would do any differently? I feel like this chapter is a huge accomplishment. Sometimes it felt like Estara would never make it to the Menoa tree, but I'm so happy that we're finally here. This is where the story has been building the entire time. I'm really excited about what's coming next!

ChaCha


	14. Chapter 14

When the vision ended, Estara was speechless. She had heard Linnea's story often, growing up on Vroengard, but seeing it was something else entirely. No storyteller had ever captured the heartache, the pain, the madness that drove Linnea to do what she did. Estara thought about loosing the one that you love, and painfully she thought of her vision of Eldwin's death. She wondered if she too, would become a creature unrecognizable to others, if she couldn't stop him from dying.

_I would never let that happen,_ Tracker said with such conviction that she had to believe him.

_If anyone could stop me from going insane,_ she said with grim humor _It would be you my dearest friend._ Suddenly she was overcome with exhaustion. Between trying to contact Linnea and her vision she was simply too tired to move. She lay her head on the floor next to Tracker's warm body, and drifted off to sleep.

She awoke the next morning when it was still dark out, but she knew maybe only a few hours before dawn. She rose to find that a try of food had already been placed on her still made bed, and she sat and ate her fill, remembering that the last meal she had eaten was nearly two days ago. She took the time to bathe and dress in clean clothes before waking Tracker and heading to the Menoa Tree.

When she arrived at the tree, she saw twenty elves already gathered there. She wondered why, but then remembered what Arya had said the night before, about the elves curiosity. She smiled politely at the gathered group, who bowed in return. She strode confidently past the elves, but she was a nervous wreck inside. When Arya had mentioned that the elves were curious, she had no idea that so many would turn up to watch her.

She was worried that they would interfere, but then she saw Arya, sitting on a large root of the Menoa tree, Firnen curled up next to her.. "Don't worry," Arya said. "They have all sworn oaths that they will do nothing but watch. No singing, no spells, nothing." Estara took a deep breath and thanked her, before grabbing on to her branch, and climbing into the tree.

When she reached out and touched the tree, Linnea's response was immediate.

_You're earlier than I thought you would be human,_ she said.

_I'm sorry if I have disturbed your rest, my lady,_ Estara said. _I can return later if you would like._

_Not necessary,_ Linnea said. _From what little I know of your race, I know you tend to sleep longer and sounder than elves. But trees, trees do not require sleep._ She stopped speaking, and Estara almost began to ask her, why. But thinking better of it she simply waited out the silence.

It was hours before Linnea spoke to her again. _You know something of patience, human. _

_Yes, my lady_. Estara replied. _I was made mute by a dragons spell._

_Ah, _Linnea perked up _A dragon-child then. A rare creature indeed. Not really belonging your race, not really belonging to the dragons. You walk a path where only one other has ever tread. _

_That is true, my lady._

_I think,_ Linnea said. _I think I will look though your memories._ Estara stiffened. She was worried about this. She had, as a precaution, asked Tracker to shield all of her visions from Linnea, going to far as to remove the memories temporarily from her mind. She wasn't sure why, but she felt as if they would be needed later to prove something to the tree.

_As you wish, _Estara responded. Linnea dove greedily into her mind, not seeming to care if it pained her. Estara figured that she had been so long without the pain of a mortal form that Linnea had forgotten it existed. She thought it odd the memories that Linnea seemed to focus on. Her times with Eldwin, Linnea observed with great distain, but the memories of her talk with her golden tree seemed to delight her. Linnea watched with no emotion, as she replayed again and again the memories of her brother, the love and affection that they shared, to the betrayal Estara felt after finding that he had become the Shade that now terrorized the land.

Eventually, Linea withdrew from her mind, and said, _None alive remember that I had a brother once._

_Really, my lady?_ Estara asked with great interest.

_Yes, _Linnea whispered painfully. _His name was Linamor. We were twins, a not uncommon occurrence in elven offspring in my time. He died, of a spell gone wrong, long before I joined with my forest._

_I am sorry to hear that, my lady. _Estara said, her sorrow for the tree genuine. _It is not easy to loose a sibling._

_That is true, _Linnea offered. _But I think that my brother's death is easier than your brother's betrayal. At least I know that my brother was of his own mind when he died, your brother will not be._ At her words Estara could feel the tears begin to run down her face. _You are dripping sap, human._ Linnea said sounding confused, as if she didn't remember what crying was.

_I'm sorry my lady._ Estara said. _It happens when I am overwhelmed by emotions. Your words are true, but they sadden me._ Linnea fell silent for a while, and Estara let her be. She was in fact overwhelmed with grief that her brother, regardless of the fact that he was fighting the spirits for control, was no longer her brother.

_That elf I saw in your mind,_ Linnea said

_Eldwin, my lady? _

_Yes, him. Do you love him?_ she asked with distain.

_Yes, my lady, I do. _Estara answered without hesitation.

_Love, tends to end badly._ Linnea said with a great effort to be polite.

_I understand that yours did, my lady._

_Enough with this 'my lady' business_ Linnea said with hostility. _I am a tree and if you must call me something, call me by that dreary elf name. And furthermore, what would you know of what happened between Mieca and I._ Estara was scared that she had pushed Linnea too far. But she answered her question.

_I am a seer, I saw it in a vision._ Estara would swear that if the tree had eyes, they would have narrowed.

_A seer?_ Linnea paused as if thinking this over. _And you saw this?_

_Yes._

_Show me._ And with her permission, she pulled on her connection to Tracker and summoned the vision forth. The vision replayed in her mind as she showed Linnea her own past. When the vision concluded, she felt Linnea's sorrow and regret at her actions still as fresh as they were more than a millennia ago. It was a long time before Linnea spoke to her again. _You have brought up painful memories for me today, human. Return tomorrow and I will speak to you on what it is you want. _With that Linnea withdrew completely from her, leaving her with remnants of the trees sorrow.

A shiver ran up Estara's spine as she sat in the tree branch. _That seemed to go as well as it could have _she said to Tracker.

_She agreed to speak you again tomorrow, _Tracker said _That's promising. _

_Yes,_ she said staring up at the sky, through the dense foliage of the Menoa tree's branches. _It appears to be well into the afternoon. What should we do for the rest of the day?_

_There had been a request for our presence._ Tracker admitted.

_From who?_

_Elva. _Estara was shock by his words. She knew that Elva was alive, but wondered what it was she wanted to see her for. She looked around the clearing and noticed that Arya was gone, but that Firnen was still curled up in a giant emerald mass among the tree roots. Estara looked up the path, to see that the large group of elves had more than doubled and she sighed exasperatedly.

_I guess we are creating quite a stir,_ she said

_It appears that we are, _Tracker hummed. Estara jumped out of the Menoa Tree and landed shakily on her feet, nearly loosing her balance. Tracker and Firnen let out rumbling bouts of laughter, and Estara shot them an irritated look.

_Not all of us have a dragons grace,_ she said to both of them, which just seemed to amuse them more.

_You do,_ Tracker purred, _Most of the time._

_You try sitting in a tree for two days and see how well you walk afterwards._ she said with a scowl. The dragons laughed again, and she resigned to being a joke. She bowed again as she left the clearing, and walked past the gathered elves. They all stopped talking as she approached and she was suddenly self conscience. She felt Firnen touch her mind,

_They are amazed that you are speaking with the tree,_ he said _Many of them on many occasions have tried to rouse Linnea from her sleep and not one of them have succeeded. The only one who did was Eragon, and we all know how that ended._ Estara smiled sadly, the elves feared and revered Linnea. She was powerful, imposing and above all fiercely protective of the forest that the elves revered with a respect akin to worship. They must have been sad that Linnea thought to speak to her and not them.

She smiled kindly as she walked past the gathered elves, only speaking when spoken too, and not saying very much when she did. As she emerged from the group, she turned at saw them all watching her expectantly. She was trying to puzzle out why, when Tracker said,

_I think they are expecting you to say something._ This took Estara by surprise. She wondered what they wanted her to say. In the end she could think of nothing that she thought would sate the elves thirst for information. But then a little girl stepped forward from the crowd. She couldn't have been more than ten years old, with long jet black hair, pale skin and vibrant blue eyes that reminded her so much of Eldwin.

She looked up at Estara with reverence, and asked simply, as only a child could, "Is Linnea alright?" Estara suddenly understood why the elves gathered as they did. They protected the Menoa Tree, just as Linnea protected the forest. They saw her as a friend, even if they had never spoken to her. They were worried for her.

_Yes,_ Estara smiled at the brave little girl and projected her words to every elf in the clearing. _Linnea is alright. We are discussing something very important. Would you like me to tell her that you asked about her?_ The little elf girl smiled brightly and nodded vigorously. She felt a grateful assent from all the gathered elves. _I will tell her. I'm sure she will be happy to hear that you think of her._ She reached a hand out and tussled the little girls hair, as her brother had hers so many times. The little girl laughed in joy and turned around and skipped away.

The gathered elves all bowed to her, in a single fluid movement and began to disperse. "Well done," she heard Arya's voice behind her and she turned to face the queen. "You have done them a great service. Many of them yearn to speak to Linnea, to learn from her, and that you may speak on their behalf has made them all happy."

_I'm glad to help them,_ Estara smiled. _Linnea just seems so lonely, I wish I could do more for her._ Arya nodded sadly, but said nothing. _Elva has requested that I meet with her. _At this, the queen raised a dark eye brow.

"Really?" she asked. "I wonder what she is up too." Estara shrugged. "I assume that you are to return to the tree tomorrow?" She nodded and Arya sighed, "New reports from Ilirea suggest that we may only have another week before the Shade reaches the capitol, and if you succeed, Eragon will need most of that time to get there." Estara frowned, she knew that she couldn't make the tree move any faster, but time was their enemy. "Oh well," Arya said resigned, "Go speak to Elva if you will. It's likely that more elves will be here to watch you tomorrow." With that the queen turned on her heal and left.

Estara returned to her room, and ate a little, before drawing a bath and thinking about her talk with Linnea. She tried to anticipate what she would say tomorrow, when asked to remove her curse from Eragon. Would she be angry? Would she refuse? Would she ask for something in return? Perhaps Linnea would banish her in exchange for Eragon's return. She felt pain in her temples and quickly flung herself out of the tub, bashing her shins on the ground. Tracker growled from his place on the cushion as the vision over took her.

She saw the darkness again, but saw no fire, saw heard no screams of the undead. A small light, like a campfire flickered in the darkness, and she cautiously followed it. When she arrived she saw her father sitting on the far side. She nearly cried out, but then she noticed that it was not him. He was thinner than her father, his eyes had dark circles beneath them and his hands were covered in blood. Recognition struck her and she whispered his name, "Gavnar."

He looked up from the fire and smiled at her. "I knew you'd recognize me sister, though if it weren't for your hair, I don't think I would have known you."

"Is it really you?" she asked still surprised that she could speak in these odd visions.

"Yes, for now," he said sadly. "I'm not sure how much time I'll have before he takes over again." She sat across from him, and watched him closely. "I'm going to die, aren't I?" Estara looked down, her eyes closed to hide her tears. "I thought as much," he said grimly. "I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry, and that I never stopped loving you, I just let my hurt get in the way." Estara looked at him and saw that tears were glistening in his eyes. But his eyes, his brown eyes started to turn black.

She watched as her brother's body transformed into the Shade, and he sat smiling cruelly at her. She felt her temper rise to the surface, "I'm going to kill you for what you have done," she spat at the Shade.

"For what I have done," he laughed with malicious glee "Your brother asked for the power of his own free will, I just gave him what he wanted." He disappeared and her eyes darted about trying to find him, she felt strong hands bind her arms to her sides and heard the Shade's voice whisper in her ear "There is nothing that you can do to stop me," his voice purred in her ear, nearly causing her to throw up. "You know that the Shadeslayer can not return to this land, and only he could kill me. I will watch you all burn."

"Or perhaps I will strike you down myself," Estara spat trying to contain her rage.

"You can not," he laughed. "You would never kill your brother." He realeased her and she leapt up and faced him, to see Gavnar standing in front of her. She stopped and felt a blade pierce her stomach, she looked down to see Gavnar holding the blade his face etched with cruelty. "You cannot stop me," the Shade's voice hissed from her brother's mouth. "This world will burn." Darkness overcame her again as the vision ended.

When she came too, she felt Tracker's great muzzle pushing her arm gently. She sighed and reached up to touch his nose. _How long was I out?_ she asked.

_Only a few minutes, _he said worried _But your mind screamed out in pain, and sorrow. I was worried._

_I'm alright, _she said thinking with pain at how she had awoken after so many visions to Eldwin's face. She sighed and told Tracker what she had seen.

_Do you really think that you could kill him, if it came down to it?_ he asked concerned.

_No,_ she replied honestly _No, I don't. That's why we have to get Linnea to remove her curse. _She saw Tracker's great head nod, and she stood up. _Should we go see Elva? _Tracker nodded again and with reluctance, she dressed and left her room.

Tracker seemed to know where he was going, so Estara didn't bother asking directions. She came to a small house on the very edge of Ellesmera and Tracker gestured with his head, indicating that they were there. Estara moved to the door and raised her hand to knock, but the door was pulled open before she even had the chance.

When the door was pulled open she stood face to face with a woman, no older than her, with hair as long as Estara's and the color of deepest black. The woman's pale skin did nothing to his the silver star on her forehead. Over all there was something very familiar about this woman, something that Estara couldn't place. The woman smiled brightly and said,

"Hello, granddaughter, I've wanted to meet you for sometime."

Author's Note: *maniacal laugh* Who saw that coming? Ok I can't take credit for the idea, that goes out to GaBeRock. I hadn't even thought of it like that until he/she mentioned it and then I couldn't get it out of my head. So this chapter is dedicated to GaBeRock. Hope you enjoyed it.

Sorry it took so damn long to update. Most of you know I update this story daily, but I got the plague (aka the flu) and then with the stupid family obligations for Easter I was 6 hours away from my computer. Well, hopefully I'm back on my normal schedule.

_~ChaCha_


	15. Chapter 15

Estara's world tilted on it's axis. She stared in shock at the woman claiming to be her grandmother. It was impossible. This woman, who she assumed was Elva, didn't look a day over twenty and yet, Elva would have been almost two hundred years old by this time.

"I know," Elva said kindly, "It's a bit of a shock but come in and I will explain it to you." Before Estara knew it she was inside the small cozy house with a cup of strong tea, sitting across from Elva. She took a deep breath and studied the woman closely. She indeed had the same eyes that her father and Gavnar had, albeit a different color. She had the same high cheek bones that Estara herself had, and the same intense, fierce look that she'd seen on her own face, in Eldwin's memories.

Elva seemed to be staring at her with the same attention to detail, as if evaluating her to see what she had inherited. Estara was vaguely aware of Tracker outside speaking to the werecat, Maude. Elva smiled at her and laughed slightly, "You don't believe me do you?"

_Not really, _Estara shook her head. _You don't look any older than I do._

"A by product, of a skewed blessing and a dragons touch," Elva lightly brushed the silver star on her forehead. "I aged rapidly, in the first few months of life, and then stopped all together when I was around eighteen."

_And you're my grandmother,_ Estara asked.

"Well, technically your great-grandmother," Elva smiled sitting back in her chair and sipping on her tea. "But that just didn't sound as good."

_But how?_ Estara asked, still confused. Elva smiled kindly.

"It's a long story," Elva said. "Do you have time?" Estara nodded and Elva sighed and began her tale.

"After Glabatorix died," she said "I stayed in Ilirea with Angela for a while, but grew weary of the politics and people trying to use me for my abilities. I left and traveled with Angela and Solembum for a long time, all the while Angela teaching me to control my abilities." She paused and watched Estara. "You know of what I can do?"

_You can sense peoples fears and what pains them,_ she responded.

Elva nodded, "And for a time, I used that ability to manipulate people to get what I wanted. I would play on their pain and fear tell them their innermost thoughts that even they were too scared to admit to." She sighed heavily. "I was," she stopped looking for the right word "A very angry child. I hated Eragon for what he did to me, even after he tried to correct his curse."

Estara's eyes widened. She had heard rumors that Eragon had miss-worded a spell and that the consequences plagued him greatly. But here, in front of her was living proof of that mistake. Estara's heart broke, to think of a small little girl, cursed to feel others pain. "It took a long time before I was able to forgive him. But when I finally did, I was a different person. I looked at peoples fear and pain, and tried to help them alleviate it, talking to them, listening to them," she paused again and looked at Estara, "Not unlike how you do magic and have done what you have in Alagaesia."

Estara smiled taking a little pleasure in the woman's words, she had apparently come by her magic honestly. "When I was in a small village outside of Du Weldenvarden," Estara smiled wondering if it was her own home village. "I got very sick with a fever that was sweeping it's way thought the small town. Angela took me to a healer, although why she didn't attend me herself I can only guess. I was feverish for nearly a week before it broke, and the healers young son attended me, day and night, speaking to me in a soft voice telling me of his life."

"When I had recovered, I found that Angela had told the healer my name was Linore. I had taken to using fake names for a very long time. The name Elva conjured so much fear among the humans that it was difficult for me to handle. We stayed there for a time, while I got my strength back, and I spent all my time with the healers son, Thedric," Elva whispered his name reverently and Estara heard the pain and longing in her voice.

"I fell in love with him," Elva smiled with happy memories. "His calm quiet manner, his fearless nature, his determination, I can see so much of him in you," Elva smiled reaching out a hand and clasping Estara's. She returned the gesture with a short reassuring squeeze and Elva continued her story. "When Angela left, I stayed behind, taking on an apprenticeship with Thedric's mother, leaning the art of healing myself. It was only another year before Thedric asked me to marry him," Estara smiled at the thought, thinking of Eldwin asking her the same one day, then chastising herself, remembering that elves don't believe in marriage.

"We married and a few months later I was expecting," Elva smiled brightly. "We had a little girl and named her, Adeen, after Thedric's grandmother. My Adeen was your grandmother, your father's mother." Estara nodded. "Adeen was a loving child. She never met anyone who she didn't love, and cared more about others than she did herself. However, she was plagued by my curse. She had odd visions of future events, and saw things that no one else did, mostly spirits of the dead." Estara shivered thankful that she didn't see like that. "It was hard, watching the curse affect my little girl, so much so that Thedric, who knew of my true nature, and I agreed to have no more children."

"When Adeen was ten," Elva said pain etched across her face, "I started to noticed the villager's began to fear me. It was something of a joke, that Thedric's wife never aged, but they started to wonder why, thinking that I had sold my soul to spirits for eternal youth." Estara watched tears begin to fall over Elva's pale cheeks and began to fight the tears herself, knowing what was coming.

_You left, didn't you? _Estara asked. Elva nodded and remained silent for a several minutes before continuing.

"Thedric and I spoke, when we married we had no idea that I would just stop ageing. And the villagers were beginning to whip themselves up into a frenzy. I begged him to run away with me, but he was firm, he should stay and raise Adeen, telling all the villagers that I died in the forest when I was gathering herbs. And so I left." Estara couldn't fight the tears now, they were flowing freely down her face. "I wandered around the forest for a long time in grief before I finally stumbled into the elven village of Osilon. I stayed there for many years, calling myself Linore still, but the elves were not fooled. One day Arya descended on her dragon and recognized me instantly. She brought me here," Elva gestured around her house, "To Ellesmera. And here I have been ever since."

With Elva's story finished, Estara rose from her chair, and threw her arms around her great-grandmother without hesitation. Elva was still crying in her arms, but began to calm down after a while. When Estara pulled back, Elva placed a small hand on her cheek and stared deeply into her eyes.

"You fear failing your mission," she said. Estara closed her eyes and merely nodded. "You fear loosing your love," Estara lowered her head and bit her lip fighting back a sob. Elva placed a finger on her chin and raised Estara's eyes to meet her own. "You have my Thedric's determination, and Adeen's passion for love. I have no doubt that you will be able to convince the tree to forgive, and save the one you love." Estara smiled, and once again threw her arms around Elva.

The night wore on. Estara told Elva stories of her family. Her father, her brother, her mother. She told her without leaving anything out, of her and Eldwin's journey to Ellesmera and everything that had happened with Linnea so far. They talked long into the night and it was nearly dawn before Estara realized that she had to return to the tree. She bid Elva farewell, and promised her that she would return.

Tracker flew her to the tree, where she saw that every elf in Ellesmera had turned up to watch today's events. She took a long steadying breath and walked past the elves without a word, her nerves too much on edge to speak with anyone. Once again Arya and Firnen waited by the tree. Estara just smiled and nodded at them and climbed on to her branch and reached out for Linnea.

_You are later than you were yesterday,_ Linnea said _And have been up all night, why?_

_I was with Elva,_ Estara answered

_You are her descendant._ Linnea said knowing. _She had spent much time in my branches. I can see the resemblance. _Estara had been right, Linnea did know what happened in her clearing. _You wanted to ask me something?_

_Yes,_ Estara said

_Go on human, ask._

_I want you to remove the curse preventing Eragon from returning to Alagaesia. _She felt the tree's anger at the mention of Eragon's name but pushed through. _I have had a vision, Linnea. He is the only one who can defeat the Shade._

_You ask me to forgive the impudent tree burner, _Linnea snarled _So that he can kill your brother?_

_Yes,_ Estara said with a pang of pain in her heart. _But as you said yesterday, he is no longer my brother._ Linnea went silent, thinking and Estara waited every muscled in her body taught in anticipation.

_Show me this vision._ And she did, she conjured the vision and replayed it for Linnea. She showed the burning of Ilirea, the dead coming back to life, her sorrow crying over Tracker's body, the devastation that the Shade planned. She immediately followed it up with her vision from Tarnag, showing the lumbering dead dwarven army the courtyard covered in blood and Eldwin's death. Tracker was curious as to why she didn't show Ellesmera burning to the ground and a distraught Linnea strangling the life from her, but she told him to wait.

Linnea was silent for some time, as she replayed and thought about the visions over and over again, until Estara was almost sick from seeing Eldwin die so many times. Finally she spoke,

_You ask too much Rider, _she growled. _My answer is no._ Estara panicked, but she had one more card up her sleeve, she just had to play it right.

_I understand,_ she said trying to pour sadness and pity into her voice. _You do not love this land, do not love this forest as much as you claim too._ Linnea roared in her mind, and the tree beneath her began to move. Estara was thrown from her branch and landed on the ground pinned to the ground by thick roots. Tracker roared and tried to come to her defense, intending to rip the trees roots with his gleaming claws, but Estara told him to wait. A long thin root closed around her throat and began to squeeze.

_How dare you imply that I do not love my forest? _Linnea screamed with murderous rage. Estara was vaguely aware of the elves yelling behind her, but Arya quickly quieted them. _I gave my life to the forest, I disavowed allegiance to my race, all for this forest._

_All because you made a mistake,_ Estara said her vision going blurry. _You made a mistake, just like Eragon did and want forgiveness for it, as he does. Look around you Linnea, all these elves are gathered for you, not me. They are here because they respect what you do for the forest, their home. Just search their minds and you will know it is true. _Estara felt the tree move her concentration to the gathered elves. She felt her touch their minds and the elves cried out in surprise and merriment. Linnea was overwhelmed, she retracted quickly from the elves and returned her concentration to Estara.

_They, _Linnea began in amazement _They do not hate me. _

_No they don't. _Estara said, noticing that the root around her neck was loosening and she could breath easier. _They want to know you, to learn from you, to protect the forest as you do,_ Estara paused letting her word sink in, waiting for the right second to finally say, _Protect the forest against the Shade's fire._

Linnea pulled back in surprise, Estara's words had hit their mark. _You did not show me the whole vision,_ she said with sly approval. _Show me now._ And Estara did as she commanded. Summoning up the vision of Ellesmera burning to the ground, of her running to the Menoa tree. Of Linnea weaping outside of her tree as it smoldered in to ashes and finally of Linnea strangling the life out of her. After this, Linnea was silent for a long time, so long that it took all of Estara's will power not to push her.

_I have two conditions, _Linnea eventually said. _I have found in the last three days with you that I miss, companionship. The first condition is that the elves come and speak to me regularly. _With out being asked Tracker asked Arya and she agreed on the behalf of her entire race.

_Done, _Estara said. _And the second?_

_The second, _Linnea said with demented excitement. _The second is that I hold you personally responsible. If Eragon can not defeat the Shade, you will return here, as in your vision. And your life will be forfeit._ Estara heard Tracker bellow and he immediately told her not to agree.

_Agreed,_ Estara said. Tracker invaded her mind and roared mournfully.

_Why, _he growled. _Why agree to that?_

_Because if my visions come to pass,_ she paused her grief rebounding through her connection with him and the tree. _If it all happens as I see it, you will be gone and Eldwin will be dead. What else do I have to live for? I may survive if I had you, or if I had him, but I don't think I can stand to loose you both_ She heard Tracker roar again, this time with grim resignation. _If that is your condition Linnea, I accept it. My life will be forfeit if the Shade is not destroyed. _

_Then it is done, _Linnea said. And a great ball of light began to swirl around the base of the tree, before shooting into the sky. The roots that held Estara to the ground retracted with Linnea's mind from her consciousness. Estara stood up on wobbly legs and saw the elves darting about wild in excitement. She saw Arya smiling widely her eyes sparkling with tears, she heard Firnen's mighty roar. Then the world went black and Estara collapsed.

Estara thought for a moment that she had woken up on Vroengard, until she realized that this was just another vision. She was in Eragon's office. He was sitting behind his large ornate desk, staring into the distance, a troubled look on his face. Saphira was curled up on her dais watching her Rider with worried eyes. Suddenly Eragon bolted upright and the great ball of light that had left the Menoa Tree was zooming through the air and headed straight for him. Before he could utter a word, the light collided in his midsection blasting through every one of his wards. He stood there daze for a minute, before looking at Saphira, with wonder in his eyes. "She did it, Saphira. She did it!" The last thing she heard as the vision faded was Saphira's roar of excitement.

Author's Note: I really don't have much to say, I'm just delighted that I've finally gotten this far and that you all really enjoy the story. The whole weekend I was playing over, and over what's going to happen next, and I'm just so excited that I finally get to sit down and put it to page. Review are always appreciated *nudge nudge*

Lots of Love,

ChaCha


	16. Chapter 16

When Estara awoke she found herself in her room, under her covers. She sighed and sat up, shaking her head to clear it. She had done it. She had convinced Linnea to remove her curse, and Eragon was already making his way to Ilirea to meet them. She sighed a great sigh and looked around her room, to see Elva sleeping lightly in a chair near her bed. She smiled widely at the sight. _I'm not alone, _she thought. _I still have family._ The knowledge sang inside her with resounding joy. She heard Tracker rumble with soft laughter and she turned to him.

_What's so funny?_ she asked.

_Ellesmera is in near chaos, _Tracker said with a toothy smile. _The city is split between celebrations of joy and preparing for a march to Ilirea. Linnea shared your visions with them and they have stirred into action, determined to protect the forest from the Shade. _Estara rolled her eyes and then a thought struck her.

_How long have I been asleep?_

_Not yet a day. How are you feeling?_

_Wonderful, actually._

_Good, _Tracker purred. _The queen is restless and want to leave immediately. _

_Of course she does,_ Estara sighed a slight smile touching her lips. _But I suppose you'll get to see Gilda._ Tracker's jubilant roar echoed over the forest, and Elva woke with a start. He rumbled an apology, and Estara turned her attention to Elva, who seemed to be trying to blink the sleep from her eyes.

_How are you? _Estara asked her.

"How am I?" Elva laughed the sound warmed Estara's heart-it reminded her so much of her father's laugh. "You are the one who has been conversing with that damned stubborn tree, and has forfeit her life if this gamble doesn't pay off. Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Elva's voice sounded irritated at the end of her short speech, and suddenly Estara felt a pang of guilt.

_I'm sorry grandmother,_ she said. _I agreed to Linnea's conditions without thinking about how it may effect you. _

"Don't bother with this grandmother nonsense," Estara laughed the sound putting Estara at ease. "You can call me Elva if you want. And I understand," her voice suddenly serious and pained. "I understand agreeing to the conditions. I would have done the same if I knew I might have had to watch Thedric die." There was a silence between them-companionable, painful, wishful. Elva smiled and finally said, "We'll just have to see what we can do about ensuring that it doesn't come to pass." Estara smiled widely and Elva crossed the room, sitting next to her one the bed, and went about telling her of her plan.

_Do you really think this will work?_ she asked once Elva had finished.

"I truly do, darling," Elva nodded taking Estara's hand in her own. Estara felt a surge of power, a charge running through her beginning in her hand and coursing through every nerve in her body. When the surge stopped, she looked at Elva who looked exhausted. Her hair was a little greyer, her face had a few lines on it.

Before she could say a word, Estara heard a gentle knock at the hatch on the floor. She watched as Arya poked her head inside and looked around before climbing in. She noticed the queen looked different, lighter almost, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, but her face was set in a grim expression. Estara reached out and touched her mind, before Arya even spoke.

_He's already left Vroengard,_ she said simply. Arya's face seemed surprised at her words, then the grim expression lifted and was replaced by a gentle smile.

"That would explain why I couldn't reach him," the queen said nodding. "We should leave immediately, if you are well enough to travel." Estara nodded and the queen turned to leave. She halted just before the hatch and whispered "Thank you." Then she was gone.

Estara turned back to Elva, and when she saw the look of worry etched on her face, threw her arms around her in a great hug, Elva was surprised for a moment, but retuned the hug with joy.

"Take care of yourself, little one," Elva whispered in her ear. "And when all this is over, I wish to meet the man who stole your heart." She released Estara tears glistening in her eyes and kissed her brow before turning and disappearing through the hatch.

Estara descended from the tree only an hour later, but when she did she was bombarded with elves. They were singing her praises and dancing about her with such frivolity, that she wondered if they truly understood the gravity of what was to happen next.

_They are just overjoyed, _Tracker said _You did a great service to them, and it is likely that you will be honored among them for a long time to come. They haven't spoken of anything but you all day, it's rather tiring. _Estara smiled at the thought. Dragons had come to expect a certain level of doting from the elves, who held them in the highest regard. So it would be a little grating for one so accustomed to praise, to suddenly play second fiddle.

When she finally extracted herself from the elves she saw that Arya was sitting astride Firnen waiting patiently, the great green dragon, practically pacing with eagerness.

_Impatient\isn't he?_ she asked Arya who laughed in response. Estara could feel Arya's own impatience coming off her in waves, but chose not to comment on it. She deftly leapt on to Tracker's saddle and the dragons took flight.

It was near midnight before they landed and made camp. Estara had been surprised that they had even done this. She expected to push hard all the way to Ilirea, and she gladly would have done it, but Arya said it was better that they were rested when they arrived.

They had hardly spoken the whole flight, which was quite fine to her. She indulged herself, and thought of Eldwin. Pangs of loneliness hit her every time she did, but with every passing minute the knowledge that she was getting closer to Ilirea, closer to him, seemed to lessen them. Estara sat, staring into their small campfire, thoughts of that night in Silthrim making her blush.

"You know," Arya said at last, breaking her own taciturn silence, "I felt bad for sending him away." Estara took a deep breath trying to calm the rage that hit her at these words.

_I'm sure you did, your majesty,_ Estara said with venom.

"Don't cast me as the villain, Estara," Arya sighed. "I saw how you two looked at each other. It reminded me so much of Eragon and myself that it hurt to watch." Estara raised an eyebrow at her words. "He looked at me the same way, and quite often I indulged myself the same when I knew he wasn't looking. There were so many times," she paused the pain evident in her voice. "So many times that I considered telling him how I felt. So many times I really wish I had. But I couldn't." She drew up her sleeve, and Estara saw tattooed on her arm was the yawe. "Do you know what this means?"

Estara nodded. She was aware that the elves who bore that mark, had chosen to do what was best for the races of Alagaesia, more often than not, forgoing their own happiness. "I swore," Arya continued "That I would protect the new rider at all costs, even," she said in a whisper, "Even if that meant from myself."

Suddenly Estara was overwhelmed with grief for the elven queen. She knew what it was like to be separated from the one that you love, and she had done it willingly, to protect the world. Estara was no longer angry with Arya, she understood her actions. Understood where she was coming from when she sent Eldwin away from her.

_Well, _Estara said with a smirk, _With the curse lifted…_she trailed off. She didn't need to finish the sentence. Arya's face lit up, brightly in a very rare smile. One that radiated joy and excitement.

"I am aware," she said her voice conveying none of the joy that was etched on her face. "I have already resigned as queen." The words floored Estara, who stared agape at the queen. "I only remained queen for as long as I did, because Eragon could not return. Now that he can…" her voice trailed off as Arya's mind transported her to places that Estara knew were happy ones.

They slept for a few hours and then took flight again, the mood completely different than the one from the previous day. They spent the next two days like this, breaking each night to sleep for a few hours, speaking candidly each night. Arya told her stories of Eragon's early days as a rider, stories that Estara had only ever heard of in rumor and many that she'd never heard of all together, like Arya's imprisonment and torture at the hands of a Shade.

Estara found her own thoughts turning to her brother. What had happened to him when he left the clearing that night? What had his life been like? So alone, so angry. Had he tortured anyone? He had killed so many, that she found the idea difficult to swallow. Arya had mentioned that his undead army was now placed around ten thousand. She wanted to weep at the idea of her darling brother killing so many. She knew logically that he hadn't, his army had, but still the idea plagued her.

She saw Ilirea getting closer, and the dragons put on another burst of speed, eager to reach their destination. Arya sounded the horns to signal their approach, but it was entirely unnecessary. Two Riders flew out to meet them, as the dragons grew closer, she saw that it was Orik from Teirm and Broga. Tracker trumpeted in joy at the sight of Sundava, Broga's dragon, and she trumpeted in return.

They finally landed inside the city walls, where the tension was palatable. Estara looked around and saw that everyone, every solider, every Rider every magician was on edge. Estara shivered feeling all of their apprehension and then suddenly saw him, Eldwin was in a dark corner of the courtyard, his blue eyes burning, staring directly at her. He was speaking to a solider but his eyes remained on her as she leapt out of the saddle and landed gracefully on the cobblestone.

She met his gaze, her heart in her throat, and couldn't think of anything to say. He flashed her a lopsided smile and touched her mind saying, _Later. I'll find you later. _She nodded, knowing that he could see the slight movement from the other side of the courtyard, and he returned his attention to the solider. She heard slight laughter behind her and saw that Orik, Arya and Broga were all watching the exchange with great interest.

_What? _she asked, irritation had crept unbidden into her voice. And they all laughed again.

"Just good that you can see what was in front of you the whole time," Orik said with a laugh. She scowled at him playfully, just making them all laugh again. "The Queen has called a strategy meeting, we should go or we'll be late."

The room where meeting was held was large, not large enough for the dragons, but Tracker didn't care about this exclusion, he was too busy with his reunion with Gilda. As the group assembled she could see that it mostly consisted of Riders, with a few high ranking soldiers littered among the group. The Queen, a slight pale woman with high cheek bones and an upturned nose, stood at the far side of a long table studying a large map intently. Her name, Estara remembered, was Evelyn

Estara jumped when she felt a hand on the small of her back, but relaxed when she heard Eldwin's soft chuckle behind her. She didn't have long to indulge in his touch though, as the Queen began to speak and he withdrew his hand.

"Latest intelligence," Evelyn said firmly, with no preamble, "Show's that the Shade's army is maybe one day's march from here, perhaps even closer." Estara shivered, she could feel the fear in the room, perhaps something to do with her grandmother's blessing. "The dwarves army, we can expect any time now." This was news, the dwarves had rallied and were marching to Ilirea. "We can only hope that they will arrive before the Shade. We have only our own forces, and the Riders to hold the city. The people have been evacuated into smaller villages outside and to the north. If we fall," Evelyn paused. "There will be no hope. We can not allow that to happen."

The force of the queens word's emboldened the room, but not by much. "Rider Estara," she heard the queen say her name, and she turned her attention from her own thoughts. "You have encountered the army, do you have any suggestions?"

_The only way to truly incapacitate them is through decapitation, your majesty,_ she said projecting her words to the assembly. _Although the dragons will have an easier time of it since the undead burn like dry wood. _Everyone laughed nervously at her words. _The undead do move slowly, which is to our advantage, however once they get a victim, they are ruthless and their physical strength is enormous. _

"Could a spell be devised to stop them?" a solider asked. Estara thought and shook her head.

_The only way to do that would be to kill the Shade. The undead are not sentient, they are more like puppets, bending to the whim of the Shade, their puppet master. _Silence fell over the room, that was obviously not what they had wanted to hear.

"Not particularly good news," Evelyn said voicing the thoughts of the assembly. "But perhaps something will reveal itself tomorrow." She waved a hand, dismissing the group. Estara turned to leave, Eldwin at her side, when she heard the queen say her name. She turned apprehensive. "Stay a moment will you?" Estara nodded and then turned to look at Eldwin, his disappointment clear in his eyes. He gave her a slight smile before bowing to the queen and leaving.

Estara approached the queen with her head held high. She watched at the queen sat in a large ornate chair and gestured for Estara to do the same. After she sat, the queen sighed, her steely demeanor dropping, and Estara noted how young she was. Evelyn couldn't have been much more than sixteen, and she looked weary.

"Eragon tells me you are a seer." she said. Estara bristled at the queens words. She wasn't aware that Eragon had seen fit to disclose that information. "Don't worry," the queen smiled. "Unlike most of my court, I have no desire to know what the future holds for me. I think if that was not the case, Eragon would never have divulged that secret. That is not why I wished to speak to you." Estara stared at the young queen with curiosity. "I wanted to thank you for everything that you have done in my country."

Estara stared allowing the confusion to seep in to her face. Evelyn giggled, a noise which Estara found strange for a queen to make, but it set her at ease. "I wondered if you were even aware that you were doing anything. I can see by your reaction that you were not. You charmed the nobles in Teirm, when they constantly complain at the intrusion of the Riders. They are enamored with you."

"Lord Eddison spoke to me and told me of your actions in Belatona, and the people are steeled by your force with that delinquent, even the headman in Melian wrote me to tell me of your calm bravery in his rescue and your fierceness in defending the escape tunnels." Evelyn paused, a wide toothy grin on her face, betraying her age. "Not to mention I have a feeling that you had something to do with the dwarves rallying to our assistance."

Estara stared at the young queen her eyes wide in surprise. She had an inkling that she had done something impressive, Angela certainly seemed to think so, but here was the queen telling her that what she had done was some how more than what was expected. _I was just doing my job your majesty. _

"If you say so, Rider," the queen said with an all knowing smile. "You should get some rest. It's sure to be quite the battle tomorrow." Estara could tell that her audience was at an end. She rose from her seat and bowed to the queen, and turned to leave. When she had reached the door, the queen called her name one more time. She turned at saw a gentle look on Evelyn's face, "He's quite smitten with you." Evelyn flashed her all knowing once again. Estara didn't need to know who she was talking about. She smiled brightly at the queen, bowed once again and left.

As soon as Estara left the palace she was assigned a guard post. She accepted her duty, but grumbled. She wanted to find Eldwin. She had known that she missed him, but hadn't truly know how much until she saw him in the court yard. When she reached her post, Tracker was already there, his own mood foul from having to be separated from Gilda so soon after their reunion.

They took solace in each other, both complaining about their stupid guard duty assignment. They had just done the impossible, and had ensured Eragon's return to the mainland, couldn't they just have a break. The sun had set hours before a human Rider came to replace them, with his red dragon. She stomped back to her tent, Tracker left her, giddy, to go off and find Gilda. She sighed, at least he was happy. But then again, who was going to keep two dragons apart.

She removed Seitherblads and dropped her weapon unceremoniously on her cot and was about to remove her shirt, when she heard light footfalls outside her tent. She cast her mind about to see who it was, but was met with nothing. Estara narrowed her eyes, drawing Seitherblads from its sheath, every nerve on alert. The footsteps stopped right outside her tent. Her body went taught with anticipation and when the tent flap was pulled back she leapt forward, bringing her weapon down. Seitherblads was met with resistance, in a shower of gold and silver sparks, with a gleaming golden sword.

She froze, staring at Eldwin's confused blue eyes. Seitherblads was humming from the contact, but then something began to course through her emanating from the sword. A hum much deeper than that of two clashing weapons. This hum resonated through her soul, it was blissful, loving, moving, overwhelming, she shivered. It was as if two halves of a whole had found each other at last and were singing in joy. She looked at Eldwin's face, and saw that he felt it too.

For the first time, Estara had the chance to study Eldwin's sword. It was gleaming, even in the low light of the tent. The hand and a half sword was longer than what Eldwin had fought with in the past, and appeared to be light enough that he could still fight effortlessly with one hand. Just above the pummel, embedded in the blade, was a glittering yellow diamond with the same intricate pattern that was on her own weapon, but on his, the pattern was etched in silver.

Experimentally, she pulled Seitherblads away from Eldwin's sword, and the blissful humming stopped. She watched Eldwin's face, searching for an explanation, but he wasn't forthcoming. Tracker's words from Vroengard echoed in her mind, _She made that one herself. She used…an elf and channeled the work herself._ She stared at Eldwin with realization.

_Rhunon used you to work on the sword, didn't she?_

Eldwin blushed under her words, "Yes, she did." Estara stared at him. Eldwin smiled and reached out and pushed her chin up. Estara realized that her mouth had been hanging open in surprise. "I was at the forges while you were asleep, and overheard Rhunon say that she needed someone to work on your sword, and I volunteered. She channeled both our swords. She mentioned something like this might happen if we ever crossed blades, but…" he trailed off, lost in his thoughts.

_You didn't think it would be that,_ Estara paused looking for the right word, _intense._ Eldwin shook his head a wry smile on his face.

"So you felt that too?" he asked. Estara rolled her eyes.

_How could I not?_ Eldwin's smile widened and he unexpectedly drew her into his arms, holding him tightly against him. Estara sighed against him, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle, feeling as if she was relaxing for the first time in days. She had missed him, but she didn't need to say it. She could tell he knew.

"Tell me how it went with Linnea," he whispered tenderly in her ear. She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. She had been hoping that he wouldn't ask, she didn't want to tell him of her agreement with the Menoa Tree. Cautiously, she opened her mind to him and quickly replayed the events in Ellesmera. Eldwin sighed happily whenever her thoughts turned to him. She smiled and wondered how often he thought about her in their forced separation. When her memories came to her last conversation with Linnea Estara tensed, knowing that he wasn't going to like how this went.

She was right, he tensed when Linnea asked her to forfeit her life, and forcefully broke the contact when he learned that she agreed. He let go of her his hands hanging by his sides. _Eldwin,_ she said gently. He didn't respond. _Eldwin, _she repeated his name again, but still no response.

_Give him some time, _she heard Tracker whisper in the back of her mind. _It's not every day that someone you love, tells you that they willing forfeit their life because you are no longer there._ Tracker continued with a growl. Estara could still tell that he wasn't very happy about that her agreeing to that condition. So, Estara waited, watching Eldwin glare into the distance, his mouth set in a hard line.

After what seemed like an eternity, he sighed heavily and pulled her back into his arms. She sighed, contentedly, but still waited for him to talk. He said nothing his face giving away no emotion.

_Are you angry?_ she asked. He shook his head. This surprised her greatly. _Why not?_

"I can't really be mad at you," he said with grim humor, "When I'm planning on doing the same thing." Estara closed her eyes to fight the tears. He was still planning on protecting her with his life, he was going into the battle tomorrow, expecting to die. He squeezed her tighter, still saying nothing. But what was there to say?

She'd talked herself blue, though the expression didn't really apply to her, begging him not to. Even before she knew what she felt for him, she hadn't wanted him to die, and now, now the thought was unbearable. Silently, the tears started to fall down her cheeks. Eldwin pulled back from her slightly, and placed a chaste kiss on her tearstained lips. A surge of longing coursed through her veins, and she hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go.

After a moment, he pulled back, his eyes, pained in a way that she hadn't seen then since Silthrim. "I'll let you get some rest." And he turned to leave, before she knew what she was doing her hand shot out to stop him. He turned, surprised, a questioning look in his bright blue eyes.

_You know, _she said, a wicked gleam in her eyes. _It's rather cold tonight._ Eldwin smiled brightly. Of course he knew that she was lying. A strong breeze was wafting straight from the desert, keeping Ilirea quite warm, in spite of the cold spring.

"Should I stay?" he asked hesitantly, a smile on his face. Estara nodded, and Eldwin playfully scooped her up, the same way that head had on Vroengard and dropped her on the cot. Her whole body shook with silent laughter as he climbed in next to her, pulling the covers on top of them. He pulled her close and held her as if his life depended on it, tucking her head under his chin, before letting out a contented sigh. She inhaled his sent, trees and musk, something that was entirely his own. She closed her eyes, and drifted off into a fitful sleep trying to think of a way to save him.

Authors Note: Raise of hands…who forgot about Tracker's cryptic words about her sword? Hmmm…hope you liked it.


	17. Chapter 17

Estara awoke the next morning to alarm bells. She shot straight up, Eldwin at her side. She glanced at him and he frowned. "I can hear the screaming in the distance," he said. They leapt off the cot, grabbed their weapons and darted out to the front lines. Estara saw Arya standing there, grim faced. She turned her eyes to the horizon and saw the undead army, shuffling towards their position.

_They got here fast,_ she remarked. _No sign of the dwarves?_ Arya shook her head grimly and pointed to the sky, just above the army. Estara squinted trying to see what Arya was pointing at, but her sight was not that of an elf. To her right, she heard Orik swear,

"Fanghur, five of them, where did he get those?" Estara reached her mind out to the primitive dragon like creature, and found that their minds were just as empty as the army's.

_He killed them, _she sighed, _and reanimated them. _She felt Tracker nudge her from behind, a wicked smile on his face.

_I think I can handle them,_ Tracker purred with grim delight. Everyone looked at him, most with surprise but Eldwin seemed to grimace. Estara felt him touch her mind and he hissed, _No unnecessary danger, you promised. _She rolled her eyes and shot him an irritated glare. _We're coming with you then._ Her heart leapt and dropped at the thought of him in battle. She knew she couldn't dissuade him, so she just nodded.

During their silent exchange, Tracker had informed Gilda and Arya of his plan, and Arya had grudgingly had given it her approval. "Be careful," she said. "We don't know whether or not the Fanghur retained any of their abilities." They nodded and took off towards the new enemy.

Estara tried to remember what she knew of the Fanghur. They were clever, but not intelligent like the dragons. They did have the ability to use their minds and lull their prey into ease before striking, but she silently hopped that they couldn't do that after their death at the hands of her brother.

As the dragons approached, the Fanghur let out a great predatory shriek and began their attack. Estara could feel them battering at her mind, and heard Eldwin swear, knowing that he was under siege as well. _I'll handle that,_ she said to him, noticing that he was struggling more than she thought he would be. _You and Gilda just follow Tracker's plan._ She briefly blocked his mind from the Fanghur which surprised them, causing them to focus all their efforts on her.

She was well equipped to deal with the invading Fanghur. She struggled at little at first but then began to rebound their attacks, trying to overcome their minds in the process. She was aware that Gilda and Eldwin had disappeared from sight, and that Tracker was baring down on the Fanghur, teasing them, taunting them, flying in spirals and loops. This made them incredibly angry.

Estara's stomach leapt into her mouth, when suddenly Tracker dove straight for the ground. She watched, panicked as the ground grew closer and closer, and at the last moment, Tracker pulled out of his dive clearing the ground by what could have only been inches. Two of the Fanghur were not as lucky and they crashed into the ground with a sickening thud.

She saw a flash of gold and saw Gilda and Eldwin come out of nowhere and decapitate the two stunned Fanghur before they could recover. Tracker shot into the sky again, taunting the remaining Fanghur, who were far more wary of them now. Estara felt the empty mind of one of the creatures, still and she knew she had control. She forced it closer and sliced of its head sending the body and head crashing to the ground separately.

She smiled a harsh smile, _Three down, _

_Two to go, _Tracker finished her thought. It was then that they heard the horns. Estara looked around confused, expecting to see Riders, but she looked at the ground and saw a huge army moving towards the rear of the undead.

_The dwarves,_ she cried searching about for Eldwin's mind. When she found it she saw that he had seen them too. He had already warned the dwarves about the Fanghur. _Good, they deal with them regularly. _As this thought left her mind Tracker spun to the side and something large whistled past her ear. She turned around and looked, and saw the remaining two Fanghur had been decapitated by a large flying blade, their bodies spiraling to the ground.

_Arya wants you to tell the dwarves to fight from the rear,_ Eldwin said, she could already feel him turning back to Ilirea. _We'll work from the front and hopefully meet in the middle. _

_Any sign of the Shade?_ she asked

_None._

_Odd._

_Yes._ And with that Eldwin withdrew from her mind, and Tracker aimed for the front of the dwarves army. He landed, drawing up great bouts of dirt as he did, and two dwarves astride Feldunost came barreling in her direction. She saw that it was King Orik and Odgar from Az Sweldn rak Anhuin. She leapt off Tracker as they approached. She clasped their hands in greeting,

_So glad you could make it,_ she said with a wide smile. _The fighting is just about to get good. _Orik and Odgar let out great fits of laughter. She shrugged and smiled. She could see in the dwarves faces that they were eager to dive in to the fighting.

"We should attack the rear," Orik said to Odgar. "Perhaps clear enough of a path to meet up with the others." Odgar nodded and left to convey his orders to the army.

_Arya's thoughts exactly,_ Estara said. Orik smiled at her.

"The vote was nearly unanimous," he said "Once this is over, you will be a member of Az Sweldn rak Anhuin."

Estara was overwhelmed. She couldn't actually believe that the clan had accepted her, but then again Angela's words had hinted at this outcome. _Well then, _Estara said with steel in her voice. _We should end this quickly so that the feasts can begin._ Orik laughed at her again,

"I think you will make a fine Knurlan, as I have said before." And with that he turned and rode back to his army, and Estara and Tracker took flight.

As they flew over the army, she noticed that the fighting hadn't begun yet, the undead seemed to be waiting for something. She cast her mind about, trying to find the Shade, but just like last time she found nothing except the hollow minds of the army. When she landed on the front lines, she saw that the army had stopped only a hundred yards from them, and still were waiting for something. This was disconcerting, what were they waiting for. In Melian they simply attacked with impunity, until the Shade called them off.

She cast her mind about again, trying to see if she could locate the Shade, or Gavnar. _Perhaps he is fighting for control again,_ she thought. Still she could find neither mind. The screams started up again, the screams of the army about to attack. And with that, the battle had begun.

Estara fought furiously. She was only vaguely aware of Tracker trashing about, crushing the undead, and burning them when he could. She was too busy with her own battles. She leapt through the air, bringing down the twin blades on the necks of two undead, and heard their heads thump to the ground. She felt very little drain on her wards, as the undead only got in a few good jabs once in a while. She kept her mind open, still searching for the Shade. He still hadn't shown himself, which was worrying.

She had heard reports from the dwarves that they hadn't seen him either. She was thinking, thinking why would he not come out and face them himself. He seemed to know that Eragon was the only one who could defeat him, and the lead Rider had still not made it.

It was nearing sundown, when she saw a black mist in her peripheral vision. She instantly thought back to Melian, and remembered seeing something similar flash in her vision then. Understanding overwhelmed her, she sought out Arya's mind,

_The Shade isn't in a mortal form,_ she cried, loping off the head of another undead. _I think he's turning into mist. That's why we can't find him._

_Mist?_ Arya replied, she was currently engaged with three of the undead. _That's unheard of, but would explain everything. _She withdrew slightly and sent orders to everyone to inform her of an odd mist. Reports poured in, nearly everyone had seen a strange black mist floating about the battlefield.

_Why though?_ Estara thought to herself. _What is his game? What is he doing?_ Tracker roared in alarm, and Estara cut off the head of an undead man and turned to him. What?

_The queen,_ Tracker bellowed. _He's heading for the queen. He'll kill her. This is all just a distraction. _Estara paled, as realization dawned on her. Why hadn't she seen it before? The queens death would shock and dismay the fighters making them easier to overcome. She ran to Tracker and as he took flight, she relayed this realization to Eldwin and Arya. She felt Eldwin withdraw from the contact immediately. But Arya swore in shock.

_Get to the queen, _Arya growled. _Get to her and get her out of here. _Tracker sped to the palace courtyard and landed with a great thud. Estara leapt off out of the saddle, and told Tracker to return to the fighting. He shook his great head.

_Go Tracker, _she said. _I'll be fine. I'm just going to get her out and then I'll be back by your side. _Tracker nudged her with his head and let out a sound that she had never heard him make before, a whine. _I'll be fine,_ she promised in the Ancient Language. _You can't even fit in there, and you'll be needed at the front. _Tracker whined again, not speaking and reluctantly flew away.

Estara darted through the courtyard into a smaller alcove that she knew had stairs to the queens chambers, but stopped, fear overcoming her. The ground was littered in corpses, every one of them wearing a soldiers uniform. She recognized a few of the faces from the war council they day before. She looked around and found a black mist, hovering in the corner. It began to shift, and grow darker, mimicking the form of a human, and then in the blink of an eye, it was not longer a mist, the Shade stood in the carnage before her, a murderous glint in his pitch black eyes.

"Sister," he hissed. "How kind of you to join me in my trap." Estara felt a pang of sadness shoot through her body, this was her brother, twisted by the spirits power.

_I have no brother, _she said, and as the words left her, she knew they were hollow, she didn't believe them.

"You expect me to believe that?" the Shade laughed, a horrible mirthless sound. "That is why She chose him, little dragon-child. Fostered his anger and his hatred, creating what you see before you."

_She?_ Estara said, trying to keep her surprise at bay. The Shade simply smiled a wicked smile and wagged a finger at her.

"Tisk-Tisk," he made a sound with his tongue that sounded like a mother scolding a child, "You're getting ahead of yourself. You'll meet Her soon enough." The Shade began to walk toward Estara and she stepped back, tripping over the bodies of the felled soldiers. "I have orders to bring you to Her alive. Though I'm sure you'll wish you were dead once She's done with you."

Estara bristled at his words. Orders to bring her alive? Well, that's not likely. She launched herself at the Shade, the twin blades of Seitherblads glinting in the dying light of the sun, and brought them crashing down upon his own sword, a wicked looking curved blade.

_By the gods, he's fast._ she thought as she leapt back and dodged his blade as it arched to her right.

"You do not plan on coming quietly," the Shade hissed. "No matter, She can raise you from the dead when I am done with you." He leapt at her, surprising her with his speed, and she barely had time to block his sword. She pushed him back with all her might, and attacked. He blocked every attack effortlessly, as if he was toying with her.

A sharp pain emanated from her shoulder, and her saw the blood trickle from a wound. Estara hadn't even seen the Shade attack. She glanced up at him, but saw that he was still. When he spoke again, it was not the Shade, but her brother.

"Estara, get out of here," Gavnar said, his voice strained. "Please run." She shook his head and took advantage of the momentary lapse and darted towards her brother. She stopped, just before her blade came in contact with his heart. Tears in her eyes. "Do it," she heard her brother's strained voice called to her. "I love you sis." At his words she was completely undone, she dropped Seitherblads and threw her arms around her brother.

She felt Gavnar's chest rumble, and heard him hiss. Her eyes shot open in shock, and she darted back, but the Shade quickly grabbed her arm, and pulled his sword arm back. _This is it, _she said resigned. She couldn't kill him, she knew her brother was still in there somewhere, and she couldn't bring herself to do it. It was her own fault really, and Estara knew it. She had always known that it would come down to it, and that she could never hurt her brother. Estara closed her eyes, awaiting her end, she heard Tracker somewhere in the distance roar in fury and sadness.

The Shade cried out in demented joy and brought the sword down, but the pain never came. She opened her eyes, to see Eldwin. _No, _she thought. The Shade pulled his sword back and she heard the sickening sound of a sword being withdrawn from flesh. _No,_ she screamed projecting her thoughts with so much force that the Shade shrank back a bit.

Eldwin fell backwards, she was barely able to catch him as he crumpled to the ground. She looked at his ashen face, and she burst into tears. She couldn't save him, she had thought for so long about a way to get around this exact moment and she failed. Her visions hadn't shown her everything, and she failed. Eldwin raised his eyes to meet hers and, with effort, he raised his hand and tenderly touched her cheek. _I love you, _he whispered in her mind. In the distance she heard Gilda's mournful cry and Eldwin closed his eyes, and his hand fell limply to his chest.

Author's note: Short I know, but we're nearing the end of the story and I have to drag it out somehow.

Lots of Love,

~ChaCha


	18. Chapter 18

_No, _Estara's mind screamed. _No, no, no, NO._ She cradled Eldwin's head in her lap, tears streaming down her face. She touched his mind gently, scared that he would be gone, but surprisingly found that he was just unconscious, dying, but right now just unconscious. She could hear the Shade's cruel laughter,

"If I had known all I had to do to break you was to kill him," the Shade hissed. "I would have done that a long time ago."

Estara ignore him. She couldn't deal with the Shade right now, she had to get Eldwin back but how? Angela's parting words crashed upon her, _Remember that you posses power than no one else does, and do not fear to uses it. _But could she really do this? Could she bring him back from the brink of death, if so what would she say? She remembered Silthrim, and the words that had moved Eldwin so much when she spoke them.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her shaking body. She reached deep with in herself for the magic. She didn't bother pulling on Tracker's reserves of energy, she knew he was busy. She summoned all her strength, and touched Eldwin's mind and spoke three simple words, pouring all her magic, all her will, all her love, her entire soul, her very being into this spell.

_Sitja medh eka._ She felt her very life essence begin to leave her body, every once of energy she had. Her vision began to darken, and she could still see no change inn Eldwin's body. He still lay there in her lap, ashen and unconscious. In the distance she heard a mighty roar, one that was familiar, one that she had heard before in Eragon's office.

The Shade cursed, Estara was not able to make out what he said. She stared at Eldwin, her love, as her vision began to fail, the energy still pouring out of her body and suddenly she felt that she was being pulled backwards, away from Eldwin, away from everything. She felt a strong hand fist her hair and drag her away before she closed her eyes and felt no more.

When she came to, she was surprised. She thought she had died, and yet here she was bound on the floor of the palace throne room. She saw the unconscious form of the queen, not ten yards away from her. She saw that the queen was bound but alive, for the moment.

She heard voices arguing in hushed frantic tones. And it took her a few minutes before she was able to gather he senses enough to listen.

"You gave her too much energy you damned fool," she heard the Shades voice hiss.

"I was not going to stand by and let my sister die," Gavnar's voice echoed in the marble throne room.

"You should have, stupid boy," the Shade hissed. "It would be a kinder fate than what meets her now."

"You are not taking her," Gavnar cried. "I won't let you."

"You can't stop me," the Shade laughed. "Every time you fight me, you grow weaker, I can't even begin to fathom how you've lasted this long." Gavnar's voice cried out in pain, but it was drowned out by a huge boom, that caused the entire palace to shake from the force. Estara shifted on the floor, weakly fighting against her restraints. And the Shade stopped talking. She heard heavy footsteps walk closer to her and when she looked up, the Shade was staring down at her with distain. He kicked her hard in the ribs, causing her vision to go blurry from the pain, and followed up with a swift kick to the head, stunning her.

"I hope you are worth all the trouble you little witch," the Shade purred, the sound causing the bile to rise in her throat. There was another great boom and Estara's vision flickered toward the great double door. "I have magically sealed the doors and windows, no one can come for you." The boom shook the building once more and Estara realized where it was coming from.

_Are you sure about that?_ she asked the Shade snidely. With a final crash the ceiling caved in, crushing her legs in rubble. She silently screamed from the pain and she knew that her bones had been crushed. She watched and before Saphira had even landed, Eragon had already leapt from her back and was falling towards the Shade, who was trying desperately to extract himself from the rubble.

Eragon's sword arched over his head and he brought it down with all his strength on the Shades own blade. She watched as the two clashed. Eragon had not been wrong when he had said she'd see a battle the likes of which no one had ever seen before. This was not a clashing of men, or even creatures of magic. This was a clashing of the gods. The two swords flew about so fast that Estara couldn't see their movements.

Sparks flew about every time the two swords met, and the deafening clang of sword on sword echoed around the room. Estara was distantly aware that Arya was in the room, uncovering her legs from the rubble and singing healing songs, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the battle at hand. Eragon's strength seemed endless, and by this time even the Shades strength was flagging.

The movements of the sword were becoming slower, and the Shade's face had an expression of grim fear and determination. Eragon batted away a flailing attack from the Shade and saw his opening. He plunged his sword into the Shade's heart. Estara's whole body cried out as her brother fell. She scrambled away from Arya to where he lay on the ground, drawing his final breaths.

Tears fell down her face, and she instinctively reached out to touch his mind. And was repelled with great force. She tried again, and was thrown back. She took a deep sobbing breath and reached out so slowly and gently that her touch was invisible, sneaking around the Shade's defenses and touched not the Shade's mind, not her brother's but a thousand small consciousnesses at once.

The experience was completely overwhelming, she saw so much that she brain began to ache and she could register it all. After a time, the images faded and she spoke,

_Are you the spirits inside my brother?_

_Yes,_ a thousand voices hissed at once. _Are you here to enslave us as he did?_

_No, _she said calmly. _But didn't he ask for this power? Didn't you enter of your own freewill?_

A thousand voices laughed bitterly. _We have no freewill, dragon-child. We do as we are bidden._

_How can something as powerful as you not have freewill?_ she asked.

_It is not how we were made._ Estara thought about this. So the spirits were not only obligated to aide in magic but had no choice when called upon to create a Shade. They couldn't say no. This pained her to no end, the poor spirits were nothing but slaves. _Is it the same when you are called upon in sorcery? _

_No,_ a thousand voices answered. _We don't mind that, we like helping and healing. That's what we were made for, but this,_ she felt them all indicate the Shade, _this is a perversion of our power, which is why it is always so hateful, so full of rage and destruction. This is what we hate. _

_Then don't do it anymore,_ Estara said simply.

A thousand voices laughed at her as if her suggestion was absurd. _Just like that dragon-child? You don't have that kind of power._

_I may not,_ she agreed. _But you do. Give yourself freewill, so that you can no longer be bound to someone as a Shade. You should not have to severe a purpose that you hate, that causes you pain, that destroys the world that you love. _Estara felt a ripple go through the spirits as the idea dawned on them. They laughed a tinkling joyous laugh, one that made Estara's heart involuntarily leap in joy.

_Thank you dragon-child._ a thousand voices whispered in perfect unison. And with that she felt the spirits leave Gavnar's mind. She sighed until she felt them swirling around her burning white hot. She screamed in pain and passed out.

Everything was dark. Estara couldn't see anything. She looked about for the undead army, or the Shade or an angry Linnea, but saw nothing. She heard heavy footsteps approach and reached for Seitherblads, but it wasn't with her. A man came into view. When she realized who it was she threw herself at him, the same way she had as a child.

"Gavnar," she cried. She felt his arms wrap around her in a giant bear hug.

"Hey there sis," he said with a chuckle.

"This is just a dream right?" she asked

"No," he laughed. "The spirits were so happy with you that they gave me a few minutes to say good bye." She clung to him tighter, fighting back tears.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," she said. He abruptly pulled away from her and held her shoulders, looking at her the same way that her father would when he was about to scold her.

"No," he said. "Don't even think like that. It was because of you that I fought to hard. It's because of you that I died as a man instead of an abomination." She look him in the eyes and saw that he believed everything. He broke the eye contact, and seemed to be listening to something that she couldn't hear.

"What is it?" she asked. He frowned and heaved a great sigh.

"I have to go," he said pulling her into another hug. "I love you sis. I always did, and always will." He gave her a kiss on her forehead before letting her go, and turned to leave. As she watched him walk off into the darkness, he stopped and called back to her over his shoulder, "I hope you like the spirits' gift. Goodbye," and as he walked away, darkness overcame her again.

When she awoke, she could feel a strong hand holding hers. She struggled to open her eyes. She felt soft, familiar lips brush her knuckles and heard Eldwin's voice whisper,

"Estara, wake up." Estara shook her head, refusing to open her eyes.

_If this is a dream I don't want to wake up, _she thought.

"Open your eyes, love," Eldwin laughed. Reluctantly she obeyed and saw that Eldwin was sitting next to her holding her hand. She flew up, intent on grabbing him and not letting go, but a sharp pain in her ribs caused her stop. "Take it easy," Eldwin said pushing her gently back down. "We must have missed your ribs."

Estara reached up to touch him, scared that he was just a dream, but when her hand gently touched his cheek, she breathed a sigh of relief. _You're alive, _she whispered. He nodded. She looked him over, he looked exactly the same, his nose, his strong jaw, his intense blue eyes, and then she noticed something. A small streak of silver hair marred his dirty blond locks. She reached up and touched it with curiosity and felt and intense pang of longing and bliss, like when their swords had met. She removed her fingers and trailed them down his jaw. Tears suddenly springing to her eyes. _I thought I'd lost you,_ she whispered.

Eldwin grabbed her hand and kissed her palm, "I thought you had too. But then I heard your voice, and I was back, in enough time to see Eragon burst through the roof of the palace, and well, you know the rest." She remembered all too well, Eragon crashing through the roof and killing the Shade, her brother dying in her arms. She started to cry. She felt Eldwin crawl into the bed next to her, and wrap his arms around her. She cried for what seemed like hours, Eldwin held her, never moving, whispering loving words in her ears.

When she'd finally calmed, she told him everything that had happened, even her brother saying goodbye. Eldwin was quiet for a while, just holding her. She was perfectly content. She watched as the light changed in the room and it was clear that the sun was setting.

_How's the queen?_ she asked, suddenly remembering the young woman was in the throne room with her.

"She's fine," Eldwin chuckled. "She made out much better than you did, actually. A few scratches and bruises. No where near the level of your cracked jaw and crushed legs. It took Arya a whole day to set you right again."

_How long was I asleep?_

"Four days," Eldwin yawned.

_Let me guess, _she said _you didn't sleep._ Eldwin shook his head. _Why not?_

"I wanted to be here when you woke up," he shrugged.

_Not once in four days did you close your eyes?_ Eldwin shook his head. "Eldwin you're a lovesick fool," she laughed. An unfamiliar voice echoed in the room and Eldwin stared at her with shock. Estara looked around trying to see who had spoken, but it was just them.

"Estara?" he said his voice full of wonder and shock.

"Yes" she said, her hand flying up to her throat and the odd vibration she felt there. Her brother's last words to her sang in her head, _I hope you like the spirits' gift._

Over the next several days, she aided in the burial of the fallen. It was a brutal, painful job. They had lost, many soldiers and several Riders and dragons. Her heart broke to see the devastation that the battle had caused, and fervently prayed that she'd never have to see this kind of carnage again. In addition to that there were thousands of rotting corpses from the undead army had collapsed as soon as the Shade had been killed. It took days of work, transporting all the bodies and giving them proper burials.

Tracker was very angry with her, for sending him away and nearly killing herself with the spell to heal Eldwin, but he was so happy that she was alive that he pushed it aside and hadn't left her side since. Estara was still trying to adjust to being able to speak. She found it a slow and cumbersome means of communication, after having instantly conveyed everything with her mind, that she spoke seldom.

Eldwin had resumed his role as her tormentor when they had moments alone. He would sneak up on her and tickle her mercilessly in order to elicit a shriek of laughter. "I love that sound," he said after every time. She couldn't be mad at him for it, it was such an endearing and joyous habit of his, that she relished it.

Feasts were held each night and were exhausting affairs. Her adoption by Az Sweldn rak Anhuin was made official, by swearing some oaths in dwarfish and bleeding on a rock. That night in particular had been a wild affair. Estara had far too much mead and snuck off frequently with Eldwin for a few stolen kisses. Tracker and Gilda had entertained the dwarves with riddle after riddle, making sure they were able to have a few moments peace.

After about two weeks, Eragon's family arrived from Carvahall. Roran and Katrina's descendants had been a particular delight. They had embarrassed Eragon by telling stories that had been passed down about the lead Rider as a child. Eragon blushed and halfheartedly chastised them, but Estara could tell that he was loving every second of it.

After more than a month in Ilirea, Eragon finally called Eldwin and Estara to his chambers. He suggested that they go flying, away from prying ears. They flew about fifteen miles to the south, before spotting Arya and Firnen in the middle of a meadow and they landed.

"Here we can speak candidly," Eragon said dismounting from Saphira.

"About what ebrithil?" Eldwin asked.

"The Shade may have been defeated," Arya said. "But there is still some dark force at work here."

"The 'She' the Shade spoke of," Estara chimed in, and she watched as Eragon nodded. "Our work isn't done is it?" Eragon shook his head, and she heard Eldwin sigh.

"As much as we've tried," Arya said with a frown, "We haven't gotten any information about a 'she' except for what the Shade mentioned. But there is a darkness still in the land, you can feel it." Estara nodded and she saw out of the corner of her eye that Eldwin was doing the same.

"We'd like the two of you to remain here, on the mainland," Eragon said. "Keep your ear to the ground, and your eyes open. We need you two to be our eyes and ears here." Estara nodded, knowing what he meant.

"Where will you be, ebrithil?" Eldwin asked.

"We'll be returning to Vroengard," Arya responded. "Now more than ever we need to train, and train hard. We'll need the Riders ranks as full as we can get them, for the upcoming battles." Eldwin nodded. "And on a lighter note, Eldwin," Arya said a sly smile on her face, "The answer is no." She winked conspiratorially at Eldwin who blushed and smiled brightly at her.

Eragon and Arya, climbed in their saddles and bid them farewell, before flying back to Ilirea, leaving Eldwin and Estara standing alone in the meadow. Eldwin sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around her, heaving a great sigh. "Sounds like our work isn't even close to being done." Estara wrapped her arms his middle and gave a tight squeeze.

"No," she said. "I suppose not." After a beat she remembered the curious words Arya had spoken. "What did Arya mean when she said no?" She felt Eldwin's chuckle deep in his chest.

"Yesterday," he said grinning "I asked her if she was going to stand in the way of us being together. She said no." Estara smiled widely and snuggled deeper into his chest.

"Well," she said. "That's some good news." She sighed deeply. "Well, I guess we should get going then." Estara tried to pull back from Eldwin's embrace but he held on to her tightly.

"Not just yet." Eldwin said. He reached out and touched her mind and Estara shivered at the contact. Love, desire, happiness, passion all radiated in their connection. She felt Eldwin shiver at the force of her own feelings for him. He sighed contentedly and whispered in her mind, _Stay with me._

_Always,_ she whispered back.

Authors Note: The End…or is it? I deliberately left it open for a possible sequel. I was working on different scenes in my head and a follow up idea came to me. Not to mention that I'm super in love with Eldwin and Estara that I'd love to dive back in a write them another adventure. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Lots of Love,

~ChaCha


	19. Resurgence of the Dark sequel

Hello Everyone!

It's been a long time since I posted here, but I'm back. I've been working on this idea for a long time and have finally begun writing a sequel to Resurgence of the Dark. It's called Flirting with the Dark, and is a continuation of Estara's story. I'm actually really happy with how it's turned out, and I'm going to put up the first two segments after I post this. I've got the whole thing mapped out already,(and possibly part of a third, but I'm not committing to that just yet) and the story is coming along beautifully.

I wanted to let all of the amazing people who followed this story know, so that if you are interested you can find and follow the other story too. I've got a ton of work to and am really excited to be back on fan fiction , net after such a long break. It's a great community and one that I really did miss over the last year. And I want to thank all of you so much for following my story, and for those of you who reviewed. I know you hear this a lot as readers on this site, but reviews really do help to keep us writers motivated. I had a few new reviews recently and I have to say those notes of encouragement is really what got me to sit down and begin to put this story on paper.

Thank you all so much for all of you support!

I can't wait to see what you guys think of Flirting with the Dark.

~ChaCha


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